Detrimental
by LittletonPace
Summary: *Sequel to Beautiful Disaster* *includes an original character* *alternate season four* Rescue's arrived, but what do they have planned for Andie and her friends?
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning Of The Truth

_Summary: This is an alternate season four of Lost including a character I created named Andrea Parker.  
Warnings: Some violence and mild course language  
Status of Fic: WIP  
Author's Notes: Follows season 4 episodes.  
__Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story accept for Andie Parker, nor do I own any rights to the television show "Lost". They were created by JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof and they belong to them, Touchstone, and ABC._

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**CHAPTER ONE: The Beginning Of The Truth**

Andie was numb.

She barely paid attention as Sawyer, Jin, Bernard and Sayid helped Desmond pulls his boat back up onto the shore. Charlie was dead. He'd drowned in the underwater hatch. His final act had been to write "Not Penny's Boat" on his hand and show it to Desmond before accepting his fate. He was gone. All Andie could think about was Claire. Who would tell her? _How_ would they tell her?

Hurley was in shock, too. Andie could see it on his face. She didn't know how to comfort him; she wasn't sure there was a way she could. Her head was so muddled at that moment she wasn't sure what was going on.

"Look; we gotta call the Doc." Sawyer's voice broke through the silence.

"Did you listen to Desmond?" Sayid immediately bit back. "Charlie wrote on his hand-"

"Look; I'm sorry he's dead, alright?" Sawyer said back loudly; though he did actually sound sincere. "But I don't even know what the hell "not Penny's boat" means."

"Calling Jack accomplishes nothing." Sayid replied shaking his head.

"It would accomplish warning him." Juliet offered."

Andie looked to their newest 'friend'. She was still unsure about Juliet; the thoughts of what she'd done to her when she'd been taken by the Others, both times, still swam around Andie's mind. They joined the thoughts of Andie's unborn baby. Juliet had said she was healing; that it was likely her baby would be alright as long as she didn't do anything strenuous. Andie appreciated her seemingly sincere concern but she was definitely not going to trust it.

"It also means warning the people on the freighter that we're suspicious of them." Juliet continued. "I've no doubt they're monitoring our communications, if we call Jack..."

"You know what? I got the walkie, I'm making the call." He held the walkie to the group. Hurley snatched it out of Sawyer's hand and tossed it into the ocean. "Hey!"

Hurley's blank expression seemed to affect all of them the same way; it was uncomfortable seeing happy-go-lucky Hugo so devastated. "We better get going." He muttered; turning and walking back towards camp.

Andie glanced at Sayid. He moved to follow Hurley so Andie followed him. Juliet and Bernard were close behind.

"Going where?!" Sawyer shouted from the shoreline.

Sayid immediately headed for the guns so Andie followed him. "What do you think?" She asked him.

Sayid glanced up at her and sighed. "If it was Charlie's dying wish for us to know that these people are not who they say they are..." He shrugged. "We need to trust that."

Andie nodded; she felt the same way. She often found that her relationship with Sayid was much smoother then her relationship with Sawyer. Probably because Sayid was more like her best friend. She adored him and wasn't shy about showing it; a fact that caused the bulk of the tension between Sayid and Sawyer.

"What the hell's gotten into you, Hugo?" Sawyer said as he trailed behind the group back to camp. "They'll all be back in the morning; if you just wait-"

"You don't wait with warnings, dude. You warn." Hurley interrupted. He didn't even stop walking; he just continued towards the jungle. Bernard hurried after him.

Sayid started handing out the guns. He gave Juliet, Jin and Andie a pistol each along with whatever was remaining of the ammo. Desmond picked up a rifle and followed Hurley. As Andie checked her gun she couldn't help but notice Bernard kept giving her odd looks. When she slung her gun into the back of her jeans and went to follow Hurley, he pulled her back.

"Hey." Bernard said as he took her arm. "Should you be doing this? I mean, a woman in your condition…"

"He's right; it's not safe." Juliet spoke up as she joined the conversation. "The best thing for your baby is to stay here."

Andie's mind flashed back to when she'd lost Gracie and her other two children. The pain of those events had scarred her heart irreparably. She didn't think she could survive another one. But on the other hand; this island was healing her, her friends were in danger, and Claire...she needed to be there for Claire when she found out about Charlie.

"You're not leaving me behind." Andie told Juliet. "Good thing I'm travelling with my doctor." She offered Juliet a small smirk. Juliet gave her a little smile in return.

Sawyer slung the rifle Sayid had given him over his shoulder. "And here I was thinking I was gonna get a good night's sleep."

The terrain turned out to be quite easy on Andie. It was basically all flat, she didn't have to run and took breaks when she had to. There were so many of them walking along that she was always in sight of someone and couldn't get lost. The plan was to head to the fuselage of the plane and rest there for the night; hopefully they'd cross paths with someone from the other group before too long.

They walked well into the evening. Walking in single file, Andie found herself about ten feet ahead of Hurley and Sawyer and ten feet behind Desmond and Bernard. She knew Juliet was in front of him and Sayid and Jin were leading the way. So focused was she on the ground below her; watching for pot holes or large rocks she could trip on, she didn't notice Sawyer jog up beside her.

"Hey." He mumbled. "We might wanna slow down a little." He jeered his head backwards. "Hurley."

Andie nodded. In the moonlight she could see his face looked more weathered than normal, but she didn't ask him what was wrong. She'd given up on that. She'd had to make peace with the fact that something went on in the jungle that night he'd disappeared. And whatever it was; it had changed Sawyer. In what way; she couldn't be sure. At first she'd thought he had reverted back; become the Sawyer he had been when she'd met him. But she had overheard him talking to Hurley not ten minutes before; asking him if he was alright and did he want to talk about Charlie; things he would never have said before.

"You ok?" Sawyer asked her.

Andie nodded again. She didn't really know what to say. Physically she wasn't exactly fine, emotionally she was in shock after losing Charlie and mentally she was exhausted. Nodding seemed to be the only option she had left. The two of them continued walking along side by side. Every now and again their hands would graze or they would lean into each other. But they didn't speak. Andie was pretty sure Sawyer's mind was where hers was, torn between Charlie's death and the fact that their rescuers might in fact just be complete liars.

"I'm gonna catch up to the others; see how close we are to that damn plane wreck." Sawyer said eventually. "Keep an eye out for Hurley."

"Ok." Andie replied as he sped up a little. Was there tension between them now? Had something shifted that Andie wasn't aware of? She felt...different with Sawyer. She still loved him; that she didn't doubt. But there was something else there now. Something that caused a knot of worry to ball in the centre of Andie's chest. She thought of her baby for a moment then noticed the knot became tighter.

"Hang in there, Angel." He mumbled under his breath as he left.

"Yeah." Andie muttered back. She wondered if he felt the shift between them as well.

Her focus now back on the ground, Andie let her mind wander to how life had been when they first crashed. Right now she would give anything to go back to that chaos. Chaos was one thing you could trust. No matter what; chaos was _always_ chaotic. And when you recognized it; you could deal with it. This uncertainty Andie was living in now was just too much. It was a silent chaos; a chasm of the unknown.

The clouds above shifted in the cool air and revealed the bright glow of the moon. Andie's left hand shone slightly. Looking down, she noticed her ring. The ring Nick had given her the morning of the crash. The knot in Andie's chest grew tighter still.

**xxx**

It was only when Andie followed Desmond towards the wreck of Oceanic 815 and saw Sayid, Jin, Juliet, Bernard and Sawyer that she realized Hurley wasn't with them.

"Oi; where's Hugo?" Desmond asked her as she arrived.

Andie could do nothing but shrug. "I thought he was right behind me." She turned and frantically searched the forest with her eyes.

"I'll get him." Sawyer offered.

"No; we need to stay together." Sayid stopped him.

"Hurley's lost; I'm not gonna leave him out there!" Sawyer snapped back.

"What if he got hurt, Sayid?" Bernard added.

Andie watched Sayid; she could tell he wanted to go back but was reluctant to turn around. They needed to warn the others about what had happened with the boat and Charlie. Andie opened her mouth to agree with Sayid but it turned out that she didn't have to; Hurley came stumbling in from behind the fuselage.

"Where the hell have you been, Hugo?" Sawyer asked with annoyance and obvious relief on his face.

"Sorry." Hurley muttered. "I was just er... I got lost."

Behind him; Locke arrived.

"What are you doing here?" Sayid asked bitterly; glaring at their former friend.

Locke then proceeded to explain why he was there; also to warn Jack about the people on the boat. He claimed he'd already tried but needed some 'support'. Andie folded her arms over her stomach and just watched Locke. She prided herself in her ability to read people; but with Locke it had always been difficult. It was as though he had a million different layers and you never knew which one he was wearing.

"You want my support?" Sayid spat at Locke. "You can tell me why you destroyed that submarine."

Before Locke could protest; a smattering of voices could be heard approaching them. Everyone cocked their weapons and aimed them at the noises. At first Andie thought it was those telltale 'Other' whispers, but moments later she saw that it wasn't. The other survivors who'd trekked to the radio tower walked into the clearing beside the fuselage. Sun was the first one to speak when she saw Jin. She shouted something in gleeful Korean as she ran over and hugged him. Rose spotted her husband and trotted towards Bernard with her arms wide open. "Still in one piece" he muttered into her ear.

"Rambo." She replied with a kiss.

Andie's heart shattered as she saw Claire with Aaron in her arms, smiling widely and looking for Charlie. Beside her, Alex hugged Juliet and everyone greeted each other but Andie's mind was only on Claire. She made a move towards her friend but was stopped by a steely faced Hurley.

"I'll tell her." He muttered.

Andie didn't protest. Tears appeared in her eyes as she bit her lip and hugged her arms around her middle. She watched as Hurley's face broke into tears as he neared Claire and shakily muttered the words. "Charlie's dead."

Claire looked stunned. "No." She shook her head. Hurley's tears spilled over as he grabbed Claire into a big hug.

By this time; everyone had heard it. There were tears and shocked gasps all around. Andie felt sobs trying to escape her throat but she didn't want to cry. Instead she just sucked in the air and tried to swallow her sadness. The breaths she drew in shook uncontrollably. She heard the footsteps of someone arrive behind her followed by Sawyer's unmistakably heavy sigh. He didn't say anything; he just pulled Andie by her elbow back towards him. She was grateful for his concern for her; it was comforting. Her tears stayed behind her eyes as she leant into Sawyer's chest. Her arms stayed cuddled around her middle but she felt Sawyer's hand hold her to his body.

Andie noticed Jack and Danielle arrive with Ben on a leash but it took her a moment to register that they were there. Apparently so had everyone else because Jack lunged at Locke and punched him to the ground before anyone could stop him. Jack also got his hands on Locke's weapon and aimed it at the traitor's head.

"Jack." Juliet spoke up warningly.

From the ground, Locke shook his head. "You're not gonna shoot me, Jack. Any more than I was gonna shoot-"

Jack pulled the trigger; but no bullet was fired.

"It's not loaded." Locke said matter-of-factly.

Jack tossed the gun away and started fiercely attacking Locke. Sawyer left Andie's side and ran with Sayid to retract Jack from Locke.

"Let go of me!" Jack yelled as Sayid and Sawyer pulled him away. "Do you know what he did?!"

"Yes; I know what he did!" Sayid shouted back.

Locke climbed up off the ground and tried to explain himself. Saying that everything he had done was in the best interests of all of them, even risking his life to tell them that Juliet was a traitor. To which Jack snapped back with "All you ever did was blow up every chance we had of getting off of this island. You killed Naomi."

This was the first Andie, and everyone who had stayed at the beach, had heard of that. "What?" Andie spoke up.

"Well, technically, he didn't kill her." Ben said aloud. "Yet."

"Yes, he did." Kate arrived from the jungle. "She just died. She didn't give you up, John. She covered for us, and she fixed this." Kate handed the satellite phone to Jack. "They're on their way."

"She didn't cover for anyone. She wants her people to come here." Locke said loudly. "And trust me, when they go we had better be far away from here. I'm going to the Barracks. The Others abandoned them. It's the only place on the Island with any form of security right now; it'll have to do until I can think of something else. Until then, if you wanna live, you need to come with me."

"No-one's going anywhere with you, John. Because they're not crazy." Jack countered.

"He's not crazy." Hurley snapped. "What about Charlie? Charlie went down to that place so we could all be rescued. And whatever he did down there, it worked. But then something must have happened. He must have heard something before he..." He paused and bit his lip. "I don't know why, but he changed his mind." Tears ran down his face, mimicking the ones showering Claire's cheeks. "Because the last thing he did was to warn us that the people on that boat are not who they said they were." His voice shook. "So I'm not listening to you. I'm listening to my friend. I'm listening to Charlie." Then he walked over and stood with Locke.

Locke looked to the rest of the group. "Anyone else. There isn't much time."

A heartbroken Claire moved slowly with Aaron towards Locke and Hurley. A number of others split up and went with either Jack or Locke. Rousseau, Ben, Alex and Karl went with Locke while Rose refused to so she and Bernard stayed with Jack.

Andie looked over at Sawyer. He looked at her. Going with Locke meant she'd have to leave Jack, Kate and Sayid behind. As well as Sun and Jin, of course and both the island's doctor's. But then Andie looked over at Claire, sobbing into Aaron as she cradled him to her body, and she knew where she had to be. Then before Andie knew it; Sawyer was beside her.

"Let's go." He half-asked half-hoped as he nodded towards Locke.

Andie nodded and walked towards Claire. Claire looked up at her with red, tearful eyes. Andie put her arm around her and felt Claire's frame shaking. There was a soft rumble from up above in the clouds and seconds later; the rain began to fall.

"You know where to find us when you change your mind." Locke said to the remaining survivors. He turned and led them away.

Andie let Hurley take over helping Claire for a moment as the two teams went their separate ways. Sawyer caught up to Locke. Jack, Kate and Juliet all turned and led their group away. Sayid, however, came over to Andie.

"Are you sure?" He said to her.

Andie could see the sincerity in his deep, brown eyes. She nodded and smiled. "Yeah." Sayid nodded slowly. Andie reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Be safe." She told him.

"I will." Sayid replied.

As Andie pulled away from him she kissed his cheek. She didn't want to think that this was the last time she'd see Sayid; he had become one of her closest friends.

"Andie?" Sawyer called from behind her. "You coming?" he noticed her and Sayid standing together.

"Yeah." Andie replied. She smiled at Sayid. "See you soon?"

"I hope so." He replied.

Andie turned and walked towards Sawyer, noticing the two men behind her exchange a smile and a nod; a silent truce.

**xxx**


	2. Chapter 2: Confirmed Dead Or Alive?

**CHAPTER TWO: Confirmed Dead Or Alive?**

Spending the night walking through the rain was exactly as Andie expected it would be; horrendous. She was cold, wet and miserable. The only upside was that everyone around her felt the same way. She hung towards the back of the group with Claire and Hurley while Sawyer didn't seem to want to trust Locke's direction and preferred to be up front with him making sure he was in on the decisions.

Claire wasn't speaking; Andie didn't blame her. Thoughts of Charlie were crystal clear in Andie's mind; she could only imagine how bad it was for her friend. Aaron was fussy, too. Although Andie didn't blame him, the poor thing was stuck in a drenched baby carrier. The terrain they walked had so far not been too much for Andie. She had a pretty sound sense of what would be too dangerous for her child if she were to be careless, so she always took the safe route, the long way rather than the quick jump over the gap between two trees that had fallen down.

They soon stopped to rest for the night under a large, canopy like tree in the centre of the forest. It gave pretty good coverage from the rain but was possibly the most uncomfortable place Andie had even been. The ground was muddy and hard and her clothes were sodden and clinging to her frame. She sat off the ground in a gap between the large roots that stuck out of the ground. Claire sat beside her and curled up with Aaron. She had her eyes closed but Andie was positive it was only so people would _think_ she was asleep and not bother her with that useless question, _"Are you okay?"._

Sawyer stood with his rifle at his side, glancing around at the tall grass surrounding them. They were pretty well hidden from anything up above but they could still be seen from the ground. Andie admired his sudden desire to protect everyone. Perhaps Charlie's death had hit him in a way Andie hadn't realized. Curling up into a ball, Andie tried to keep herself warm but it was proving difficult since she was drenched. She leant her head back against the tree root behind her and closed her eyes.

It was only when she woke up that Andie realized she had been sleeping. Sawyer had taken a seat next to her and nudged her; that's what woke her up.

"Sorry." He apologized when he saw she was awake.

Andie shook her head; letting him know it was alright. She looked around their little camp and realized that it was much later at night. So late that it was most likely early morning. Most of the people around her were sleeping; or at least trying to sleep. She could make out the silhouette of Rousseau sitting up with her gun over her lap.

"Go back to sleep." Sawyer whispered to her. "It's early."

Andie could feel the heat from Sawyer's body; it was too inviting to pass up. She leant again his chest just under the crook of his shoulder and fell asleep.

Aaron's sharp cries were what awoke Andie later that morning. The rain was still falling as Andie lifted her head off Sawyer's chest. Her movement woke him up, too. The bulk of the survivors were awake now standing under the tree canopy out of the rain. Claire stood on her own trying to comfort Aaron but Hurley stood close by. Everyone was looking at Locke who was standing out in the centre of the brush looking up to the sky and letting the rain fall on him.

"What is he doing?" Andie asked as Sawyer helped her to her feet.

"Waiting for them to beam him up?" Sawyer deadpanned.

"Hey dude!" Hurley called out to Locke as he walked towards him.

They spoke for a few moments before the rain cleared; as though it hadn't been falling at all. The sun shone over the island and Andie immediately felt its warmth. She stood out from underneath the trees and looked up at the clear blue sky; an oddly beautiful day.

"Let's go." Locke called to everyone as he started leading them East across the island.

Sawyer eventually asked why they were heading East when the Barracks were due South. Locke claimed they had to make a detour to a cabin. Andie thought this was particularly weird. One; because they had never come across a cabin in all their time on the island and two; because Locke had never mentioned seeing a cabin before. But perhaps there was a cabin because Hurley spoke up saying he thought that it was in another direction. Locke seemed quite perturbed by this, even when Hurley tried to explain he meant the fuselage cabin. Andie looked between Locke and Hurley. Her mind thought back to the evening before when Locke had showed up at the fuselage seconds after Hurley. Something had happened when they were out there together. Apparently, something that involved a cabin; fuselage or otherwise.

Andie noticed that Ben was also staring at her heavy-set friend. "Why do we need to go to a shack?" Andie asked. "Shouldn't we get straight to the Barracks?"

"Because, Andie, we're supposed to go to the cabin." Locke told her easily.

"Right. Like you were supposed to throw a knife into that Naomi chick's back?" Sawyer brought up.

"Ahuh." Locke answered simply.

"You mind telling us who you're getting your orders from, Colonel Kurtz?" Sawyer asked.

Locke sighed. "I got 'em from Walt."

There was a hush of confusion that scattered over the survivors. Andie had met Walt when she was kidnapped, he'd helped her escape the Others capture. But when Sawyer and Kate had found her in the jungle and took her back to camp; Walt still hadn't been found. The last Andie heard was that he and his father, Michael, had taken the Others boat and headed home.

"Walt?" Hurley asked. "Walt's gone; how could he-"

"He told me what I had to do and I'm gonna do it." Locke addressed the whole group. "If any of you want to leave; now is the time. The path back to the beach is easy to follow; you'll get there this afternoon if you leave now." He paused. "I'm doing what needs to be done to keep us, all of us, safe. I suggest you all do the same." With that he turned and headed back into the jungle.

Andie exchanged uncertain glances with Claire, Hurley and Sawyer before the four of them followed Locke. The other survivors were right behind them. Now at the front of the group with Locke, Andie could get more of an insight into what he was actually doing. She had a feeling he was playing down what he knew but she didn't know how to make him reveal the truth to them.

"What the hell do you mean you saw Walt?" Sawyer asked Locke as he fell into step beside him.

"Yeah." Andie agreed. "Do you mean like in a dream? Cos they have pills for that…"

"No dream." Locke shook his head. "It was Walt...only taller."

"Taller? What like a giant?" Sawyer asked. When Locke didn't answer, Sawyer just sighed and continued. "OK, what exactly did _Walt_ tell you?"

"He said I had work to do. That I had to stop this woman, Naomi, from bringing the rest of her people here." Locke said with a hint of finality.

Sawyer held his arms out, expectantly waiting for the rest of the story. "What you didn't ask any follow-up questions?" he snapped.

Locke turned around. "Ben had shot me and left me for dead, Walt saved my life, so I pretty much took him at his word." He bit back at Sawyer with a glare in his eye.

"He shot you?" Sawyer scoffed. "Yet here you are fit as a fiddle tromping through the jungle."

Locke lifted up his shirt and showed Sawyer, and the rest of the group, his bullet wound. It was still open and bleeding slightly. "The bullet went in one side, came out the other. I'd probably be dead if I still had a kidney there. Anything else?" Locke waited for a protest; but none came. "Then let's keep moving.

And move they did. It was almost three hours before they finally took a break. They all sat in a shady clearing where the breeze flowed freely. Everyone shared water bottles and what food they had with them. Andie sat with Claire, who remained silent, while Sawyer and Hurley talked together nearby.

As Andie drank from her water bottle, Claire tried to get Aaron out of his sling to let him stretch his little legs, but she was having some problems. "Need a hand?" Andie offered holding out her arms for the baby.

"No; I got it." Claire muttered in a voice that didn't sound like her own. She lifted Aaron out of the sling and held him awkwardly with one arm as she tried to slip the carrier off her shoulder with the other arm.

"Look; let me help-" Andie reached for the baby carrier but Claire just pulled away.

"No; I can do it myself!" she snapped loudly.

"Ok." Andie backed off. She put a full bottle of water besides her friend. "You need anything; just let me know." Andie got up and walked over to Hurley and Sawyer.

"How is she?" Hurley nodded at Claire.

"Not good." Andie told him. "But maybe we-"

"Hey!" Sawyer suddenly shouted. Then he took off.

Andie watched him run over to Karl, Alex and Ben. Ben had obviously said something to anger Karl because Sawyer had to pull the young away.

"He's just trying to get into your head." Sawyer calmed him. "Go take a walk or something." Sawyer watched as Alex followed Karl away from Ben.

"Mind if I ask you a question, James?" Ben asked him. He was still tied up with his hands bound with a tight rope. He had bleeding cuts and bruises on his face from repeated attacks from Jack and Rousseau. But even so, he still managed to get under Sawyer's skin.

"Yeah I do." Sawyer replied without looking at him.

"Did you know Andie was in a committed relationship before she crashed on this island?" Ben asked inquisitively.

"Yeah; I did." Sawyer replied with a smirk. "So you're wasting your time, Yoda."

"I know it's not pleasant to think about..." Ben trailed off; purposely not looking at Sawyer.

"What's not pleasant to think about?" Sawyer sighed; regretting he asked but a little too curious to keep quiet.

"James. On this island the two of you are perfect for each other. Damaged, in love...happy. Off this island you don't know what's been happening." Ben paused, enjoying the effect he was having on Sawyer. "Did you know he's been looking for her? Even after they found that plane; he won't believe she's gone. You see, they were in love, too. Right up until the day she got on flight 815." Ben paused; he now had Sawyer's full attention. "What I'm trying to say, James, is that baby she's carrying could just as easily be his as it is yours." Ben cocked his head slightly to the left. "Wanna know whose I think it is?"

---


	3. Chapter 3: DOA

**CHAPTER THREE: D.O.A.**

Sawyer snapped. He lunged at Ben and closed his hands tightly around his throat. "Say it again, man, just say it again!" he slammed the man firmly into a tree trunk.

"James!" Locke hollered as he ran over and split them up. "Don't!"

"Don't what?!" Sawyer growled loudly; keeping his hands around Ben. "Anyone wanna tell me why we're keeping this guy alive?"

The rest of the survivors were watching now. Andie and Hurley advanced slowly towards them.

Locke grabbed Sawyer's shoulders and pulled him back off Ben. "We're keeping him alive because he's been on this Island a lot longer than any of us. Because he has information we need. And because apart from his mouth, he's completely harmless."

"His mouth put that hole in your gut?" Sawyer jeered back.

"OK, James. Let's execute him, right here right now, in front of his daughter." Locke retorted.

Sawyer backed down and glared at Locke. "It's only a matter of time before he gets us, Johnny, and I bet he's already figured out how he's gonna do it." He tossed the ropes binding Ben into Locke's arms. "So you walk him." Then he stormed off.

Ten minutes later, Locke was leading the group once again. They were walking along ground that Andie didn't recognize. Although there were probably corners of this island that had been untouched for years. Sawyer was still reeling from his confrontation with Ben. He stayed towards the front of the group with Locke, his gun slung over his shoulder, while Andie stayed behind near Claire. She couldn't really imagine how her friend was feeling. When Andie had lost her mother she'd had Nick there with her to take care of her. Of course, Danny had been the regular pain in her side that he always was but Nick kept her sane. Claire didn't really have the option to grieve – she had to hide. That's why Andie just wanted to be near Claire in case she needed her.

Somewhere in the near distance there was a loud splashing noise. Locke slowed down as the group neared what seemed to be a cliff-side. Everyone peered over the edge and saw a parachute caught in a tree. In the water below was a woman in some sort of uniform looking happy. That was until she saw the survivors and her smile faded.

"Hi." She called up at them as she waded slowly. Andie noticed she spoke with a very proper British accent.

"Hi yourself." Locke said down to her.

She then explained very quickly that her name was Charlotte and she was from the boat that had sent a helicopter to come to the island. But they hit some turbulence and had to abandon ship. Locke told her to make her way to the water's edge and he directed the rest of them down to meet her. She took off her soaking wet jumpsuit and sat on a large rock as the survivors surrounded her; curiosity on all of their faces. Andie stood between Sawyer and Claire with her arms folded. This woman was exactly the person they were hoping to avoid.

"I can't believe you're alive." She was saying as she tried to wring the water out of her long, reddish-blonde hair. "How many of you are there?"

"Why do you wanna know?" Hurley asked skeptically.

Charlotte shrugged. "Why wouldn't I wanna know?"

Hurley sighed. "Forty-eight of us survived the crash, that's not counting the tail-section. They're pretty much all dead now..."

"Hugo." Locke said warningly. He was standing in front of all of his people; protective like.

"So you've all been living here this entire time." She said to the group. Then her eyes settled on Claire who was jiggling Aaron in her arms. "Is that your baby?"

"Yeah, this is Aaron." Claire said in an almost monotonous voice.

"Did you have him here on the Island?" Charlotte asked.

Claire nodded. "Ahum." She said, almost in affirmation.

"That's amazing." Charlotte seemed genuinely in awe. "Well, I've about a million more questions I want to ask you, but they can wait until we get you back to the freighter." She lifted up a blinking red light in a tube that was attached to her belt. "We all got one of these transponders, so if we just sit tight, they're gonna be here soon, ok?"

"You're people." Locke spoke up. "How many of them are there?"

"Four including me." Charlotte told him.

"And what happened to your helicopter?" Locke asked.

Charlotte shrugged. "I dunno, the pilot was trying to put it down."

"Where?" Locke asked.

"I dunno." Charlotte seemed confused to all the questions she was being asked. "I had to jump, it was chaos. I'm lucky to be alive."

Locke then proceeded to tell Charlotte that she was coming with them; they weren't going to sit around and wait for her people to show up. When she protested, Locke shut her up with a very firm _'__We don__'__t wanna be found__'_ before he took her transponder and fastened it to Vincent with a rope. Then he shooed the dog in the direction they had come from.

"What did you do that for?!" Charlotte yelped.

"Lady; like the man said; we don't wanna be found." Sawyer said to her as he got to his feet.

"Then why did you call our boat for rescue?" She countered.

"That wasn't us." Andie told her. "Well; not all of us. The people who want to be rescued are on the beach."

"Then...why do you lot want to stay here?" She asked, crinkling her brow.

"We have to move." Locke said with finality in his voice. "Once Sayid, Jack and the others find the dog they'll know we have you."

Charlotte wanted to protest more but Locke motioned for her to walk with him; jabbing his gun as he did so. She sighed and reluctantly followed him. She then kept her mouth shut for the bulk of the trip. That was until she fell into step beside Andie.

"So...why don't you want to be rescued?" Charlotte asked.

Andie looked up at her. She seemed relatively harmless; but her eyes were rather piercing where her smile was quite gentle. Andie couldn't really read her that well. She sure wasn't going to divulge all their secrets to this perfect stranger. "We just don't." Andie replied.

"So you'd rather stay on a remote island then go back to the real world?" Charlotte asked with an undertone of sarcasm.

"Look, Gene, is it?" Andie asked. Beside her, Hurley scoffed.

"Charlotte." The woman replied haughtily.

"Whatever. Some of us wanted to stay; some of us wanted to go. You're not gonna change our minds so why don't you just stop asking questions?" Andie told her with a raised eyebrow.

Charlotte paused "I'm not here to harm you." She said quietly.

"Well; sorry dude, but we've had bad experiences with newcomers in the past." Hurley said to her.

Charlotte opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted as something exploded in the sky. Everyone looked up and saw the small ball of smoke puff out and disperse into the air.

"That's them!" Charlotte said, grabbing Locke's arm. "That's somebody from my team." She was excited. But one glance around the group told her that she was only one who was. "What's wrong with you people? We're here because of you. I just almost died jumping out of a helicopter because you called us for help."

Hurley glanced at Charlotte and then at Locke. "Maybe we should go see who launched that flare..." he muttered.

"Yeah, I mean they could be hurt, John." Claire added.

Locke pointed at Charlotte menacingly. "She's lying. And whatever they came for it isn't us. We keep moving forwards as planned."

"Sure, who are we to argue with taller ghost Walt?" Sawyer brought up sarcastically.

"You know what? You people do whatever you want." Charlotte said, heading immediately towards the flare.

"I want you to come with us." Locke reminded her firmly.

Charlotte turned back to him with angry eyes. "I'm not asking for permission, and if you think you're gonna bloody stop me from getting to my-"

Two gunshots suddenly went off and hit Charlotte dead in the chest. Sawyer grabbed Andie by her shoulders and pulled her protectively behind his body. Hurley did the same thing with Claire and Aaron. Andie noticed Karl gripping at the back of his jeans; where she'd noticed a gun earlier. Then her eyes fell on Ben who was holding Karl's weapon in Charlotte's direction. Andie felt Sawyer growl from behind her and could only watch as he let go of her and lunged at Ben; tackling him to the ground and laying punch after punch into his body.

"What did you do; you son of a bitch?!" Sawyer yelled as he beat the life out of Ben. No one even attempted to stop him.

A quick glance at Locke and Charlotte told Andie that she was alive; she had been wearing a bullet proof vest and was out of breath but otherwise alright. Locke helped her to her feet.

Sawyer lifted Ben off his feet and slammed him hard into a tree trunk. He yanked his gun from his waistband and pointed it between Ben's frightened eyes. "James; listen to me; please!" He begged.

"Keep your mouth shut!" Sawyer roared as Locke came over to him. "I guess this is the part where I'm supposed to say I told you so."

Locke shook his head. "James, I stand corrected."

Sawyer looked at him. "You want me to do it?"

"James; no." Andie warned him taking a step in his direction.

Locke held his hand at Andie to keep her back and shook his head at Sawyer. "No it's my mess, I'll clean it up." He said uncaringly.

Sawyer released Ben and handed his gun to Locke.

"No wait!" Alex cried from the group.

"Danielle, you should escort Alex away from here." Locke told her.

Danielle put her arm around her daughter. "Let's go, come on, Alex."

Karl took her hand. "She's right, let's go." The three of them walked away.

"Anyone who doesn't want to see this should leave now." Locke said to everyone else.

"John; we should talk about this!" Claire shouted loudly.

"Claire, what if one of those bullets had hit you or the baby?" Locke replied. Claire had no answer for that. Andie took her arm and pulled her away; the last thing she and Aaron needed to see was an execution.

"John, listen." Ben pleaded. "I have information that you need. I have answers."

Locke paused. "What is the Monster?" he asked out of nowhere.

Ben looked confused. "What?"

"The black smoke, the Monster, what is it?" Locke yelled.

Ben shook his head. "I don't know."

"Then goodbye, Benjamin." Locke cocked his gun and aimed it at Ben's head.

"Her name is Charlotte Lewis!" Ben yelled, nodding at Charlotte. "Charlotte Staples Lewis. Born July second, nineteen seventy-nine, Essex, England. Parents David and Jeanette. Eldest of three, all girls. She was raised in Bromsgrove. Did her undergraduate studies at Kent. Took her PhD in Cultural Anthropology at Oxford. She's here with two other team members and a pilot. Their names Daniel Faraday, Miles Straume, Frank Lapidus." No one said anything. "Your instinct was right, John, these people are a threat, and if you shoot me you'll never know how great a threat they were. Because I know what they're doing here. I know what they want."

"_What _do they want?" Sawyer asked irritably.

"Me, James, they want me." Ben said quickly.

"How do you know all this?" Locke asked with the gun still aimed.

Ben sighed. "Because I have a man on their boat."

**xxx**


	4. Chapter 4: Economical

**CHAPTER FOUR: Economical**

The news that Ben had a man on the freighter and that the rescuers were actually there for him was enough for Locke to keep Ben alive. Sawyer was none too pleased and preferred prodding and shoving Ben whenever he could. "You ready to give us a name, Gizmo?" He snapped after they'd been walking for about twenty minutes. Locke shot him down; telling him Ben would never give up the name seeing as it was all that was keeping him alive.

Andie watched the exchange from three or four paces back where she walked with Hurley by her side. She had to smile as Sawyer referenced the children's game of 'This little Piggy...'. Although he was using it as an order in which to cut off Ben's toes rather than in the sentiment it was designed for. Either way; it gave Andie slight hope he wouldn't make a terrible father. She was sure that in an hour or so she'd change her mind and think James would make an awful parent; but that's just how her mind was these days. Scrambled. There were so many people swimming around her head she couldn't seem to focus on one thought. Including Sayid; she found now that he was gone she thought about him more than ever. She missed her friend terribly.

Andie was so wrapped up in her muddled thoughts she didn't realize they'd actually stopped until her head banged against Sawyer's back. He put an arm on her shoulder and gave her a concerned look. "You alrigh'?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah." Andie smiled. "Why have we stopped?"

Sawyer shrugged. "Who knows? Johnny's lookin' for somethin' that ain't there."

Andie watched Locke walk around in a circle on the spot; obviously looking for the cabin. It was very clear that the cabin was nowhere nearby. "John; how long are we gonna wait for this thing to appear?" Andie asked with a tired sigh.

"Yeah, how much further is it?" Claire added. "I need to feed Aaron."

"It should be here…" Locke muttered in a puzzled voice.

"Maybe we got turned around?" Hurley offered. "It could be anywhere."

"No; it was here!" Locke snapped forcefully.

"What's in this cabin that's so important anyway?" Sawyer asked.

"John's looking for somebody to tell him what to do next." Ben spoke up with a smile.

Locke glared at him but then looked to his group having made up his mind. "I guess I was mistaken. It doesn't matter, the plan's the same. We keep moving. The barracks aren't far."

"Her team is with Jack's group." Danielle spoke up; nodding at Charlotte who was hanging back towards the end of the survivors. "They know we're going to the barracks."

"And she was wearing a vest." Andie reminded Locke.

"Which means her posse's gonna come expecting themselves a gun fight." Sawyer added.

Hurley tried once more to pitch the idea of just letting Charlotte go. The pacifist didn't want to keep a prisoner; it wasn't what he'd signed on for. And the look on his face when John referred to Charlotte as _'valuable'_ only proved his pacifism.

Charlotte knew what was going on; she knew she was a hostage. But she wasn't sure why. Andie had a vague idea of why; because it would be weak of them to let her go. Charlotte was leverage. If her people stormed Andie and the Others, she was the only thing that might spare them. Andie silently agreed with Locke; Charlotte was valuable.

The group continued on without incident for an hour or so longer until they reached the Barracks; home of the Others. It was quite ominous to everyone as they arrived. The wind was blowing through the trees and causing some washing that had been left on the line to sway in the breeze. Andie also noticed a children's playground nearby with a swing set and slide. Some of the doors to the homes had been left open as though the inhabitants had left in a hurry. Andie assumed that they had.

Locke stood in front of everyone and laid out his plan. He wanted the bulk of them to hide in the treeline behind the houses. Hurley was picked as a phony hostage to fool whoever came back for Charlotte. Locke told the group he thought that either Jack or Sayid would accompany Charlotte's people when they came to rescue her so they needed one of their own in there as a sort of mole. Locke also brought up that since Charlotte's people were after Ben; they'd also want to look in his house. So Locke put Danielle in charge of Ben and Andie in charge of the group while he and Sawyer kept close to Hurley and the houses.

The other survivors seemed confused as to what was going on and Andie didn't really have any answers for them. She just led them to the treeline behind the Barracks and made sure they were all hidden. Then they waited. Claire fed Aaron and took another pretend nap so she wouldn't be disturbed.

Karl; who hadn't left Alex's side since he'd arrived at camp a couple of days before, came up to Andie after awhile. "Hey." He said as he leant against the tree beside Andie.

"Hey." Andie acknowledged him.

"How long are we supposed to wait?" He nodded at the Barracks; he was as eager to use their showers and beds as the rest of them.

Andie sighed, shrugged and shook her head at the time. "Until someone shows up for Charlotte; I guess."

Karl nodded. "You don't remember me; do you?" he asked a moment later.

Andie looked over at him and shook her head. "No...should I?"

"When they took you the first time, just after you crashed…" Karl prompted her.

"Oh; I remember basically nothing of my first time." Andie told him. "Just being strapped to a chair and injected with something or other."

Karl nodded. "Yeah; happened to me, too. When I got out of the cage." He shuddered a little at the memory. "You're lucky you've forgotten."

Andie gave him a sympathetic smile and looked back at the Barracks. She had to strain her eyes to confirm what she was seeing but it only took her a moment to realize she was right. Sayid, Kate and another man were approaching the Barracks. Suddenly, Andie was struck with the urge to join Locke and Sawyer. And also suddenly offended that they hadn't asked her to tag along. Wasn't she one of the best shooters on the island? Couldn't Danielle take care of the group? Or Karl, for that matter…

"Hey Karl; you think you can take over for me?" Andie asked as she made sure she had the pistol Locke had given her still in the back of her jeans.

"What are you doing?" Karl asked.

"I'm going to find out what's going on; Locke and Sawyer aren't the best people to neutralize a situation like this." She gave Karl a small smile. "Can you handle it?"

"Of course." Karl told her confidently.

"Thanks." Andie nodded just before she took off for the Barracks. Hurley was supposed to lead whoever showed up to Ben's house so that's where Andie headed. She reached one of the walls of his house and waited a moment for the sounds of someone who had spotted her. When no sound came; Andie continued around the side of the house. All of a sudden, a gruff arm yanked her back by her elbow. Andie opened her mouth to scream but stopped when she saw it was Locke.

"What are you doing, Andrea?" He asked her under his breath with anger in his eyes.

"Ok; number one; let go of me." Andie yanked her arm out of his grasp. "Number two; I'm a little pissed you didn't ask me to come in the first place and number three; everyone over there is-" Andie pointed the group hidden by the trees but Locke grabbed her hand.

"Don't you understand what we're trying to do here?" Locke snapped at her in a whisper.

"I'm not senile; John." Andie countered.

"What the hell's going on?" Sawyer snapped as she came over to them. When he saw Locke gripping Andie's wrist he shoved the man off. "Get off'a her."

"We don't have time for this." Locke told the both of them. "Sawyer; Kate went into Ben's bedroom. Follow her. I'll get Hurley and Miles."

"Who's Miles?" Andie asked.

"The Asian guy; that's what Sayid called him." Sawyer informed her.

"Andie; you get Sayid and bring him to rec room; the one over there." He pointed the large warehouse from where they were standing. "And he'll be armed." Locke warned her.

"I think I can handle Sayid." Andie told him. One glance at Sawyer told Andie his clenched jaw had something to do with her; but she wasn't going to dwell on it now. The three of them separated.

Andie only had to wait at the back window of Ben's house for two minutes before she saw Sayid's muscular frame enter Ben's living room. He had his gun at the ready as he inspected the room. He noticed something on the floor and bent down to inspect it. Andie took the opportunity and changed position so she could see fully into the room. Sayid was running his fingers over a gouge in the floor. He got to his feet and discovered that there was a hidden door behind the book case against the wall. Sayid glanced around the room to make sure he was alone before entering. Andie waited thirty seconds and then entered the house. She waited at the open secret door for Sayid to exit. She didn't have to wait long.

"SAYID!" Kate's shrill cry rang out through the house.

Andie swore to herself; Sawyer had obviously not been able to keep her calm. Andie readied her gun, just in case, as her friend rushed out of the secret room. Sayid looked genuinely surprised to see Andie there. He automatically held up his hands when he spotted her gun but he needn't have, Andie pocketed her weapon immediately.

"Sayid; don't freak out; ok? Please don't freak out." Andie begged him as she held out her hands to ward him off. "It's not what it looks like."

Sayid lowered his hands. "Andie." He shook his head earnestly.

"Sorry, dude." Hurley muttered apologetically as he appeared behind Andie.

"Where's Locke?" Andie asked him.

"With that angry Chinese guy." Hurley told her.

"Go the others." Andie told Hurley. "And can you please send Danielle back here to me?"

"Sure." Hurley said, turning and leaving out the back door.

"What are you doing, Andie?" Sayid asked.

"What are _you_ doing?" Andie countered.

"We came for Charlotte." Sayid told her.

"Well, if it was up to me; you could take her." Andie said with a little laugh. "But Locke has this idea-"

"And since when do you listen to Locke?" Sayid asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't do that." She glared at him a little. "Don't play the _I-know-you-better-than-you-know-yourself _card on me."

"Why don't you want to be rescued?" He asked her suddenly.

Andie was taken aback. "I...I want to stay, Sayid." She stammered. They two of them stared at each other for a few seconds. "Why do you want to leave?"

"Because we don't belong on this island, Andie." Sayid told her. "

"Would you stay if I asked you to?" Andie asked before she realized what she was saying.

"Are you asking?" Sayid folded his arms across his chest.

Andie shook her head; her mind was all over the place. She wasn't in love with Sayid but she desperately didn't want him to leave the island. On the other hand, she _was_ in love with James but right now she didn't really care where he was. She hoped that this was that hormonal over-emotional pregnancy talking; even though she hadn't experienced it in her other pregnancies. "Forget it." Andie shook her head again. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Danielle, armed with some rope and a rifle was nearing the house. "When you're gone...just don't forget about me." Andie spoke to her feet; she didn't want to see Sayid's reaction.

Danielle arrived and tied up Sayid; apologizing as she did so. Andie knew Danielle had a similar bond with Sayid as she did. After he was bound, Andie led the way to the rec room. She took the ropes from Danielle and led her friend in there by herself.

"I wish it was different." She muttered as she unlocked the rec room door.

"Don't wish; Andie." Sayid told her. "False hope will only lead to emptiness."

For some reason; this statement caused tears to form in Andie's eyes. "I'm sorry." She muttered as she opened the door. Locke was standing right by the door and Ben was sitting on a chair in the centre of the room.

"Hello, Sayid." He said with a sigh as he took the rope from Andie. "I've got it from here, Andie."

Nodding, Andie turned and walked away. She brushed the already disappearing tears from her eyes and followed Danielle away. She was heading for Alex and Karl who were with the rest of the group by the playground. Claire was slowly swinging with Aaron on one of the swings while Kate, who apparently Locke did _not_ want locked up, was talking animatedly with Hurley and Sawyer.

"Andie; you ok?" Sawyer asked as he came over to her.

Just realizing he was there, Andie blinked repeatedly as she looked at him. She didn't answer him. Instead, she flung her arms around his neck and squeezed. "I love you." She whispered as she kissed his cheek warmly. It was the first intimate moment they'd shared since just before Desmond had returned sans Charlie from the Looking Glass hatch.

"Yeah; love you, too." Sawyer closed her arms around her back, wondering what on earth had happened with Sayid to spur such a response in Andie.

**xxx**


	5. Chapter 5: Handle Me With Care

**Chapter Five: Handle Me With Care**

An hour later, Locke had left the bulk of the survivors up to their own devices to get sorted out in the Barracks while he dealt with Miles, Ben and Sayid in his own, twisted way. Claire took Aaron into one of the houses that more on its own then the others and Andie followed her. Claire didn't say anything about wanting to be alone so Andie took this as a sign that it was ok for them to stay together for awhile.

"Hey, Angel." Sawyer called out to Andie as he jogged into step with her. "'Bout these living arrangements…"

"What about them?" Andie asked.

"Most of these places are fully equipped with double beds." Sawyer continued. "Figured we could try one out?"

Andie turned to him with a wrinkled brow. "Live together?" She paused. "You and me?"

Sawyer shrugged. "Why not? You were stayin with me almost every night back at the beach; what's different here?"

Andie thought a moment. In a way he was right; they had been living together ever since Andie was brought back to the beach so many weeks before. But to _physically_ be living with him in a house with a roof, a kitchen and a bedroom? That was a different story. "I want to stay with Claire." Andie told him.

"Well; unless you and Claire are a whole lot closer than I thought; you won't be sharing the same bed." Sawyer smirked at her. Andie smiled slightly. "Look; Andie...about the whole…baby thing?"

Andie looked up at him; wondering where he was going with this. "Yeah?" She prompted him.

"Well...ain't it best we live together first?" He finished.

"Conventional." Andie breathed a laugh. "Maybe." She smiled genuinely. Then she sighed. "Trial basis. Two weeks. Something goes wrong you move in with Hurley and Kate."

Sawyer laughed. "Deal." He kissed her forehead and the two of them headed towards their new 'home'.

Claire had picked the room towards the back of the house and was already setting up a bed for Aaron when Andie knocked at the door with a cup of tea. "Hey; we have tea with real milk, now." She said setting the cup on the desk in Claire's room.

"Thanks." Claire muttered as she settled Aaron in his drawer/bed.

"Claire; do you want to talk about it?" Andie asked.

"Talk about what?" Claire asked airily as she played with Aaron's feet.

"About what?" Andie repeated as she crossed her arms. "Charlie."

The sound of his name caused something to move in Claire; she held her hands still and stopped playing with her baby. "No." She muttered. Then she turned and smiled a little at Andie. "But thanks."

Andie smiled back and left her alone. She worried about Claire's reaction to Charlie's death. She hadn't even seen her cry since Hurley told her what had happened. But maybe she just didn't want to cry in front of everyone else. Andie headed into the kitchen and set about making herself a cup of tea when she noticed Locke, Sayid and Charlotte nearby Ben's house through her window. She left the kettle whistling and hurried out into the yard. "What's going on?" She asked as she arrived.

Locke looked at her. "We made a deal." He looked back at Sayid.

"Deal?" Andie also looked at Sayid.

"Miles for Charlotte." Sayid told her. "Enjoy." He directed at Locke.

"Have a safe trip home, Sayid." Locke nodded at him. Then he turned around and headed back to Ben's house where he'd decided he was going to take up residence.

"What about Kate?" Andie asked Sayid when Locke was gone.

"She's decided to stay." Sayid told her.

Andie briefly wondered why but she didn't dwell on it. "So you're leaving?"

"Yes." Sayid smiled at her. "Don't worry; I won't forget what you said."

Andie returned the smile and they left it at that. She watched Sayid and Charlotte walk away until they cleared the forest. Then she turned and went back towards her house.

**xxx**

In one word; that first night at the Barracks was weird. For one; Claire, Sawyer and Andie all ate dinner together sitting at a kitchen table using plates, knives and forks. They drank water from a tap and even had ice. Andie had found cans of Dharma soup in their cupboard and had just cooked that up in about ten minutes. It was piping hot and very thick; the best meal Andie had eaten since the crash. After dinner; Claire went straight to bed leaving Andie and Sawyer to inspect their new home. They weren't sure who it had belonged to but they had a large collection of old videos stacked up beside the TV and a book case full of well-loved novels next to that. It was almost too much for Andie; she sat on the couch with her knees to her chest just trying to get her head around things. Before dinner she'd had a shower; a long, hot shower. And now she wore the first clothes she had in months that weren't damp and sandy. There had been old clothes in the dresser in Sawyer and Andie's bedroom so she'd helped herself to sweatpants and a blank singlet.

"Check this out." Sawyer spoke to her from a cupboard beside the book case. He pulled out some old board games. "Everything in this place seems second-hand."

"It probably is." Andie surmised. "They probably share stuff all the time. Or at least they used to."

Sawyer nodded and put all the games back. He sighed and then got to his feet. "What do you wanna do?"

Andie smiled and shrugged. "I have no idea. It's like for months we've been so bored; desperate for something entertaining...now we have all this stuff but it's like...overwhelming; I guess."

"Well; not for the neighbors." Sawyer said as he looked out the thin curtains to the house next door; Kate and Hurley's. "Hugo's set himself up in front of the TV; that didn't take long." He walked over to Andie and held his hand out to her. "Come on; let's go to bed." He said softly.

Realizing she was quite tired; Andie accepted his hand and let him pull her to her feet. They walked into their bedroom and Sawyer started undressing. Andie slowly climbed into the bed and under the covers; she knew she must've had a weird look on her face but the whole situation was so strange. From sand to beds? She decided just to deal with it and settled back against her pillows. Lord, how she'd missed pillows. Sawyer climbed into bed beside her wearing only a pair of white boxer shorts. Something he'd no doubt found in the house because she had certainly never seen him wear underwear before.

Sawyer laid straight down on his back and looked up at Andie who was glancing furtively around the room. "Can you just accept it, Andie? We have a house; we have beds." He reached out and tugged at her elbow. "We got each other."

Andie sighed and looked down at him. "Yeah; I know." She allowed him to pull her down onto his bare chest and looked up into his eyes. "But for how long? What if something happens to us?" She paused. "Or to the baby?" she added worriedly; her inner-fears making themselves known.

Sawyer furrowed his brow at her. "I'll protect you." He told her quietly; but firmly. Then he kissed her deeply on the mouth. When she kissed him back he felt for her hips under the blanket and rolled her fully onto her back.

**xxx**

The next morning when Andie awoke she realized it was barely dawn. She was so used to being woken up by the early morning waves it was strange to wake up to the sound of birds singing in a brisk daybreak breeze. She found a light zip up jacket and shrugged it on. Heading down the hallway; she opened to door to Claire's room and saw her friend curled up asleep in one corner of her bed. Aaron was beside her on the bed kicking his legs and chewing his fist. Suddenly struck with a fear that Claire may roll over on her son; Andie went in, picked up him up and took her to the kitchen with him.

She was making tea with Aaron on her hip when Claire entered the kitchen looking disheveled. "Morning." Andie greeted her.

"Hey." She mumbled.

"How'd you sleep?" Andie asked.

"Good, I guess." Claire sighed. "It's weird; I miss my old tent; Oceanic shrapnel and all."

Andie smiled. "I know what you mean." She handed Aaron over to his mother. "Do you want some tea?"

"Yeah; thanks." Claire smiled. "I'm gonna go sit on the porch." She giggled a little. "Huh. Porch."

Andie brought tea out for her and Claire on the front porch. From their home; they had a good view of everyone else's houses. Ben's house, now occupied by Locke, was further away than any of the others. Andie wasn't sure where Danielle, Alex and Karl were living but she assumed they were together; no way would Danielle let her daughter out of her sight now.

"Morning." Kate greeted them as she came over from next door with a cup of coffee in her hands. "I see you guys couldn't keep away from the coffee either."

"Pregnant and breastfeeding." Andie pointed to herself and Claire. "We're stuck with tea."

"Right." Kate smiled.

Out of the corner of her eye, Andie saw Locke leaving his house across the way. He slammed the door and stalked off in an angered huff.

"What was that all about?" Kate asked.

"Who knows? It's Locke." Claire shrugged.

"Mornin', ladies." Sawyer greeted the three of them as he came out onto the porch.

"Good morning." Claire smiled at him.

"Morning." Andie and Kate greeted him.

"Mmm...coffee smells good." Sawyer smiled.

"Well, why don't I go make you a cup?" Claire offered. She got to her feet and took Aaron inside with her.

Kate sat in Claire's vacated seat while Sawyer sank onto the porch steps. "Kinda weird, ain't it? Sittin' on porches, drinking coffee out of mugs?"

Andie nodded. "How's living with Hurley?" she asked Kate.

"He snores like a beast but I can handle it." Kate smiled. They were interrupted as Locke returned to his house. "I'm gonna go see what's going on." She set her cup on the ground and walked away.

Sawyer moved up and sat beside Andie. "I take it you didn't sleep great."

"What makes you say that?" Andie asked.

"You were gone when I woke up." Sawyer said simply.

"It's just hard to adjust. I mean we adjusted to the beach and now we just have to change right back; it's a little harder than I thought it would be." Andie said quietly.

"Well; it doesn't help that we're keeping two hostages." Sawyer brought up. "And I don't trust Locke with Ben."

"Who does?" Andie agreed. Then they were silent for a few moments, just contently drinking their tea and coffee.

Claire came back out onto the porch and handed Sawyer his coffee. He thanked her and then said he was going to wake up Hugo 'camp style' which apparently involved a warm bowl of water. He bade the ladies farewell and sauntered next door.

Claire and Andie talked about mundane things but Andie's heart wasn't really in it. With her and Sawyer playing house and him already thinking of baby names she resolved that she needed to find out who the father of her child was. What if it _was_ Nick's baby? It was unlikely; she guessed, but there was a chance. What if she her baby looked exactly like Nick? She couldn't live with the guilt of keeping that secret.

Andie sighed with deep regret, because there was only one person on this whole island who could help her. And she was at the beach with Jack.


	6. Chapter 6: Eggs & Bacon

**Chapter Six: Eggs & Bacon**

It was late evening before Andie saw Kate again. She had been washing up dishes in the sink with Claire when there had been a soft knock on the door. Muttering something about getting Aaron to sleep; Claire went to her room. Wiping her hands on a tea towel; Andie answered the door to see her friend smiling on the doorstep.

"We have porches." Kate said with a grin.

"I know; insane, right?" Andie returned the smile and moved aside so Kate could enter.

"Hey Freckles." Sawyer greeted her as he exited the bathroom. "Care for a drink?" He pulled out a cask of Dharma wine he'd discovered in the back of the pantry.

"Um, sure." Kate agreed apprehensively.

Andie didn't blame her for being suspicious; she herself had the thought that everything in this house was tainted in some way; it almost didn't feel right to be using it. But all she had to do was remind herself what liars the Others were and that anxiety went away.

"I know it's in a box," Sawyer was saying. "But it's pretty damn good. I tested it."

"Repeatedly." Andie muttered with a grin as Sawyer poured two glasses and handed one to Kate.

"So how's life here?" Kate asked them both. "Aaron keeping you up all night?"

"No, no, he's a good sleeper. Better than us; I reckon." Andie replied

Kate nodded her head slowly and took a small drink of wine.

"You are terrible at this, Freckles." Sawyer said with a laugh. "You came back for somethin'; we know that much. Ain't no reason Jack-o would let you come back if wasn't for somethin' you really wanted." He paused. "So what is it?"

Andie looked between the two of them. Sawyer was right; Kate was acting more evasive than usual. But then why had Sawyer picked up on it and not Andie; she was good at reading people – especially her friends. "Kate?" Andie pressed.

"Alright." Kate sighed. "I need your help. Both of you."

"For what?" Sawyer shrugged, downing his glass of wine.

"For Ben." She ignored Andie's stance of disapproval. "I want you to help me bust him out."

It took them Kate only ten minutes to convince Andie and Sawyer of her 'con' that she wanted to play on Locke. She wanted to find out if the boat people knew about her; knew that she was a fugitive. Andie assumed it was Kate's way of deciding whether or not to stay on the island. If they knew of her past back home then why leave? Andie thought that if Kate could do that then she could find out some answers of her own. Perhaps about Nick or even Danny? Either way, it didn't take long for Andie to be very on board with the plan. They decided that Sawyer would distract Locke and then convince him that she was going after Miles. When Locke and Sawyer went to stop her they'd discover neither Miles nor Kate; because the two of them would be with Andie interrogating Ben.

Grabbing of backgammon from the cupboard of games, Sawyer left the house and went to Locke's. Kate kept watch from the window while Andie went to tell Claire what was happening. She found her friend asleep on her bed with Aaron cradled in her arms. A memory of an old talk show about freak disasters flashed to Andie's mind; particularly the story about the mother who'd rolled over on her child and smothered it in her sleep. Andie crept into the room and gently picked up Aaron. Claire stirred but didn't wake. Andie kissed the infant on the top of his head as she laid him in his makeshift bed of a blanket filled laundry basket. Then she went back out to Kate.

"Sawyer's inside." She said simply. Meaning he'd done his part; Locke was distracted. Now it was up to the girls.

Kate and Andie separated at the back of Locke's house where Andie was to wait for Kate to return with Miles. It was Andie's job to make sure Sawyer and Locke were out of the house before Kate came back with Miles. Andie shifted from foot to foot on the spot for what felt like hours before she heard a commotion from inside Locke's house. Raised voices, feet scuffling, the unmistakable sound of guns being loaded. Moments later, Locke and Sawyer both ran from the house. Andie waited thirty seconds and then moved onto the porch; this was Kate's signal that it was alright to approach. Barely one minute later, Kate and a roped-up Miles came jogging in from the treeline.

"What's going on?" Miles asked in a hushed whisper when he saw Andie holding open the door to Locke's house.

"Shut up." Kate growled at him.

The three of them crept stealthily to the basement. Kate shoved Miles into Andie's arms while she cracked the lock on the door and pushed into Ben's cell. Grabbing Miles, Kate reminded him that he only had one minute and to start talking.

"How 'bout some privacy?" Miles asked with raised eyebrows.

"Fifty-five seconds!" Kate snapped back.

Miles sighed and turned to Ben. "Do you know who I am?"

Ben smirked. "Yes." He replied.

"Then you know he's put a lot of time and energy into finding you." Miles continued. "So now I've found you. And I can tell him exactly where you are." He paused. "Or I can lie, and tell him you were already dead. I'd be willing to do that, for 3.2 million dollars."

"You've arranged this meeting so you could blackmail me?" Ben asked with an amused grin on his face.

"It's extortion if you want to get technical." Miles retorted.

"3.2?" Ben queried. "But why not 3.3 or 3.4?" The two men stared at each other before Ben grew an inquisitive look in his eye. "What makes you think I have access to that kind of money?"

"Do not treat me like I'm one of them!" Mile yelled, jeering his head back at Kate and Andie. "Like I don't know who you are or what you can do!"

"Your friend Charlotte has seen me, she knows I'm alive." Ben told Miles.

"I'll take care of Charlotte." Miles promised. "You just worry about getting me the money. You have two days."

"My present situation is a little bit restricted." Ben said, his eyes scanning his roped hands and windowless room. "Can that be amended?"

"Okay." Miles nodded. "One week, in cash."

Kate grabbed Miles by the upper arm and yanked him out of the room. "Times up." She spat into his ear.

"Don't even think about it!" Miles protested.

Andie whipped her gun out from the waistband of her pants, grabbed Miles and held her gun to his head. "I'll shoot you and say you fell in the kitchen." she told him with an air of sarcasm as she pulled him full out of the room. "She said times up!" Andie kicked the door shut and helped Kate slam Miles into the wall.

"Ooh; two on one. This is hot." Miles quipped.

"You got your meeting, now I want my answer." Kate said as she stood right in front of Miles nose. "Do you know who I am?"

"We got your name when you called the freighter." Miles said almost tiredly. "Of course we know about you and everybody else on the 815 manifest."

"Then prove it." Kate pressed.

"Your name is Katherine Anne Austen, and you're wanted for murder, fraud, arson, and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember." Miles listed. "You're a fugitive. You got caught in Australia and the feds were bringing you back. So yeah, we know. If I were you, I'd stay right here, on the island." He paused a moment. "Who knows, maybe you didn't survive the crash."

"What about me?" Andie asked him. She wasn't sure what the answer would be but she needed to ask the question. Her life before the crash had been less than pleasant; doing all that dirty work for Danny. But that had been on the underground; well hidden. Unless Danny gave her up – which Andie wouldn't put past him – she might actually have a home to go to. "What do you know about me?"

"Andrea Elizabeth Parker." Miles winked at her. "Born and bred in Sydney Australia. Father disappeared when you were 19, mother died when you were 27. You were employed by a man named Danny Stevens; underground leader of some sort; real slippery character. Hospitalized almost two years ago after a car accident where you lost your unborn daughter; Grace. Hospitalized twice after that for two miscarriages."

"What happened to Danny?" Andie asked nervously.

"He died a month ago." Miles told her. "Murdered. No one knows who but the feds in your homeland are sure happy he's gone. Never did find out what you did for him, though."

"What about Nick?" Andie pressed.

"Andie; we gotta move." Kate whispered to her friend.

"Kate!" Andie silenced her. She turned back to Miles. "What about Nick?" She emphasized every word.

"Nick Matthews. Your boyfriend, right?" Miles smiled. "Well; on the news he calls you his fiancé. Your boy Nick never believed you were dead; even after they found that plane." Miles told her "He's waiting for you; sweetheart."

Andie's heart sank. As much as it would've pained her if she'd heard that Nick was perhaps moving on; living a life without her, it would make returning that much easier. But if he was waiting for her; searching for her...how could she leave the island? How could she go back while carrying a baby that may not be his own?

"Andie; move." Kate grabbed her friend and Miles and yanked them towards the stairs up out of the basement. They didn't get far; Locke and Sawyer were waiting for them at the top of the stairs.

"Go back to your house, Kate." Locke said at her with angry, burning eyes.

Kate started to protest. "John; this has nothing to do with-"

"Go back to your house, Kate!" Locke yelled even louder.

Kate sighed, tossed Miles to Locke and huffed passed Sawyer and Andie out of the house.

Locke turned to Andie. "What do you think you're doing?"

"He has answers, John, and like it or not we needed them." Andie sighed.

"What did he say to Ben?" Locke asked.

"I dunno; I was out in the hall." Andie lied.

"You're lying." Locke said with a knowing look.

"Y'know what, John? You don't own me; you don't own Kate or any of us." Andie stood face to face with him. "We all do what we have to do to survive here." With that she brushed past Locke and Sawyer and headed out of the house.

"Hey, Angel, wait up." Sawyer called as he jogged after her. He met up with her on the path back to their house. "I take it he talked."

"Yeah; pretty much. They know who Kate is." Andie informed him.

"What about you?" Sawyer inquired. "What do you they know about you?"

"Everything; pretty much." Andie sighed. "It doesn't matter, James. Because I'm not going back. I'm not leaving this island."

Sawyer pulled her back by her elbow and looked into her eyes. "Is that so?"

Andie nodded. "I want to stay here with you."

"Whatever you say, darlin'" he grinned, grabbing her gently by the back of the head and kissing her deeply. He then wrapped her in a warm hug. "You'll be alright; I'll keep you safe."

Andie could see out of the crook of Sawyer's elbow that Kate was watching them through the window of her house with a faint smile on her lips. Andie momentarily wondered if Kate and Jack were having issues; maybe that's why Kate came back and was now so reluctant to leave? Those thoughts left Andie's mind when she noticed Locke also watching them from the window of his own house; his mouth in a firm line. Andie gripped Sawyer tighter; all of a sudden scared. She felt safe with Sawyer...but how safe could she be living here with Locke? And Ben; the man who'd shot her so many weeks ago. What wouldn't that man do to keep his island safe? Andie felt a twinge in her stomach. Not from her child, but from her worry. Worry that maybe she was destined never to have an easy life; that maybe all her future held for her was more of what she'd already lived through. Pain.

**xxx**

She was dead, Andie couldn't believe it. It had seemed like only yesterday she'd been at her wedding; dancing, cheering. It had been a wonderful day for husband and wife, Andie remembered. And since the island they'd all needed a little happiness; and Sayid had finally found his.

Heading into the kitchen, Andie sighed as she picked up some dry spit up on her t-shirt. All of her clothes had a stain of some sort on them now. Sterilized baby bottles filled the sink; as many as she had it never seemed to be enough. Andie grabbed for the phone and dialled the only number she had for her friend.

"Hi; I'd like to speak to Sayid Jarrah." She said to the woman on the phone. "Yes; I know about his wife that's why…" The woman cut her off with more rehearsed statements. "Yes; I know who he is but he'll want to speak to me." The woman inquired as to why. "Because name is Andrea Parker…I'm also one of the Oceanic Seven."


	7. Chapter 7: This, That

**Chapter Seven: This, That…**

That evening Kate came over to Sawyer, Andie and Claire's house asking to borrow the record player. The one in her own house was broken and she was anxious to play a Patsy Cline record she'd found. Andie was showering when she heard the sound of Locke's voice speaking rather irritably in the living room. Wrapping herself in a bathrobe she'd found, Andie exited the bathroom and followed the noises.

"I don't need to know why you did what you did, Kate." Locke was saying as Andie entered the room. "I just need to know what they said to each other."

"What's going on?" Andie asked, folding her arms.

"Andie." Locke held up a hand to her.

Kate sighed. "Miles told Ben that he would lie to the people he worked for on the boat, tell them that Ben was dead for 3.2 million dollars." She paused. "Listen, John. I'm sorry. I asked you where he was –"

"You're not welcome here anymore." Locke cut in.

"Ah; John; she's a guest in _my _house; she can stay as long as she wants." Andie reminded him firmly.

"Andie; the only reason I'm not asking you to leave too is because of your baby." Locke told her with a steely glare. He turned back to Kate. "I want you gone by morning." He looked at both women one more time before leaving the house into the night.

"You don't have to leave, Kate." Andie told her as she sat down next to her friend on the couch.

"Yeah; I do." Kate sighed. "It's not worth the trouble; staying with Locke on my back. Besides; I only came here to talk to Miles. I've done that."

"Are you gonna leave?" Andie asked. "The Island, I mean."

Kate shrugged. "Andie...I think you should come with me."

"Sorry?" Andie asked with a short laugh.

"You remember when Claire got sick; after we came back from getting Jack?" Kate reminded her. "What Juliet said..."

"You mean her speech about how women can't have babies on the island." Andie sighed. "Yeah; I remember."

"She said that pregnant women die..." Kate raised her eyebrows.

"Well; I won't. She told me being on this island was healing me; why heal me and then kill my baby?" Andie said with a weak smile; hoping she sounded more convinced than she felt.

Kate didn't really have a response. Instead she got to her feet. "I'll come by tomorrow before I leave." She promised. "G'night Andie."

"Night." Andie mumbled as she watched Kate leave.

"Andie?" Sawyer called to her from their bedroom doorway. His hair was still damp from his shower and he had a towel around his shoulders; his bronzed chest exposed. "You comin' to bed? It's late..."

"Yeah." Andie smiled at him and wandered back to their bedroom. She checked in on Claire and Aaron and saw that mother and son were both sleeping soundly in their own beds. She sighed and closed the door before heading back to he own room. Sawyer was already in bed flipping through the pages of an old book.

"You alright?" He asked her as she slid into bed beside him.

"Yeah; I guess." Andie muttered as she sidled up next to him and rested her head on his shoulder; glancing at his reading material.

Sawyer kissed the top of her head. "Well, it ain't that late, y'know..." He said suggestively. "And I did give you that 'I'll keep you safe' line..."

"Yeah; it wasn't _that_ good." Andie chuckled; closing her eyes.

"Andie...bout this baby thang..." He brought up; obvious apprehension in his voice.

Andie didn't open her eyes but muttered a short. "Yeh?"

"It's...look; it probably ain't what I imagined I'd be doing but...it ain't gonna be the worst thing in the world." He managed to say. "Y'know?"

Smiling to herself slightly Andie agreed. "Yeah...although what we're gonna do with a baby I'll never know..." she chuckled.

"We'll figure it out; somehow." Sawyer laughed back. "Maybe we can get Claire to give us lessons."

Andie didn't even hear Sawyer's response before she drifted off to sleep; dreaming much easier dreams than she had in awhile.

**xxx**

Retrieved from ".com/wiki/Eggtown_transcript"

The next morning as Kate was preparing to leave; Andie met her in her bedroom with an offer. "I've been thinking about what you said."

Kate raised her eyebrows. "You're coming with me?"

"In a manner of speaking." Andie replied. "Claire didn't die because she didn't conceive on the Island…Juliet gave her that vaccine which means she can give the same thing to me."

"If you conceived here." Kate nodded.

"I have to find out for sure." Andie said carefully. "If we leave now I can be back by sunrise tomorrow."

"What about Sawyer? What are you going to tell him?" Kate asked.

"I'll think of something." Andie reassured her.

Kate sighed. "Alright. I was gonna leave in about ten minutes."

"I'll be ready." Andie smiled quick thanks and headed back to her own house. Sawyer was still asleep. She scribbled him a quick note about taking a walk with Kate before seeing her off and then went into see her roommate.

"Claire?" Andie knocked on the door as she entered. Claire was sitting by the window in a chair with Aaron in her arms. "You sleep ok?"

"Yeah; fine." Claire muttered; turning to smile tiredly at Andie. "What's up?"

Andie quickly explained to Claire what was going on and her plan to keep Sawyer off her trail. Undisturbed, Sawyer might very well sleep until noon. Andie asked Claire to cover for her; tell Sawyer she was with Kate and would be back soon. She wasn't sure how long the story would hold but it gave her enough time to get to Juliet.

When Andie finished speaking, Claire nodded in agreement. "Yeah; sure. No worries."

"Thanks. I owe you. Anytime you want me to watch that one; I'm yours." She pointed at Aaron. Claire smiled and went back to staring out the window. "Claire…are you sure you're ok?"

Claire heaved a weighted sigh. "Charlie's dead, Andie. No; I'm not ok." Her voice shook a little. "You better go."

"I'll be back soon." Andie promised her; suddenly very torn between helping her friend and helping her baby. But the latter was more important right now so Andie turned and left Aaron and Claire alone.

Kate was waiting for her by the treeline. "You sure you wanna do this? If something happens to you out there…" She trailed off.

"I'll be alright, Kate." Andie smiled as confidently as she could. "Let's move."

The two women walked pretty swiftly for about two hours before they stopped for a break. Andie sat on the log of a fallen tree while Kate leant against the trunk of a large elm. "I'll be so happy when we're off this rock. I am so over running through the jungle."

"There's something I never thought I'd here." Andie chuckled. "Kate Austen; over running." Kate returned the giggle. "What about Jack...I mean; what about _you_ and Jack?"

Kate drank from her water bottle. "What about us?" she shrugged.

"Don't give me that." Andie tossed a rock at her. "You love him; he loves you. Don't tell me you had another fight."

"No; no." Kate shook her head. "It was his idea that I come back…it's just…you heard what Miles said; I'm wanted."

"Kate...you can't run forever. You know that." Andie told her. "But Jack; he doesn't care about what you did. He cares about who you are."

Kate sighed and put her drink bottle back in her bag. "Yeah." She mumbled. "We better get moving."

Another two hours later Andie was happily daydreaming when she heard the unmistakable sound of a babbling stream. She caught up to Kate and had her listen. The two headed towards the water to fill up their water bottles but when they came into view of the river; they realized they weren't alone. Charlotte and a man Andie assumed was Daniel were already there. Having heard Andie and Kate approach; Charlotte had her gun drawn on them.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. It's--it's okay." Daniel said; lowering Charlotte's arm. "It's okay. It's Kate."

Charlotte and Andie exchanged a nod; they hadn't seen each other since she'd left with Sayid a few days before. However; Andie had only heard of Daniel; she'd never met him before. He was a nerdy looking man with a beard and seemingly scattered yet intelligent way about him. He came towards the women and held his hand out to Andie.

"I'm Daniel Faraday." He introduced himself.

Andie cautiously shook his hand. "Andie." She nodded back at him.

"Good to meet ya." Dan smiled. Then he turned to Kate. "So they have Miles?

"Yeah, but he's fine." Kate replied as she bent to fill up her water bottle. "They're treating him fine. I thought you two were with Jack at the beach. What are you guys doing out here?"

Charlotte exchanged a glance with Daniel. "Jack was trying to communicate with Sayid and Desmond on the freighter, but their sat phone ran out of juice. It's totally dead. There's no way we can call the boat."

"What does that mean?" Andie asked with her arms folded. "Sayid and Des; did they make it to the boat? Are they ok?"

"Yeah; they arrived fine." Daniel told her. "Des had a bit of a…"

"They're fine." Charlotte cut in. "We volunteered to get the spare batteries out of the packs that we threw out of the chopper."

Kate locked eyes with Andie and darted them at Charlotte's pocket. Andie looked and saw a satellite phone with the power button gleaming bright green.

"So... if you threw your pack from the chopper, what's that?" Kate asked Dan; indicating the large bag over his shoulder.

"This?" he tried to shove it out of sight a little. "Uh... it's... just borrowed this."

Andie and Kate looked at each other. "Mind if we take a look?" Andie asked with a sweet smile.

Dan looked apprehensive but Charlotte had other ideas. "Go ahead, Dan. Show them." She said with a nod.

Daniel dropped his bag on the ground and allowed Kate to open it. Inside she spied gas masks and protective clothing. "Batteries, huh?" Kate scoffed as she pulled a mask out of the bag. "What's this for--uhh!" Charlotte suddenly smacked Kate in the back of the head with her gun.

"Kate!" Andie lunged at her friend but was met with a similar back-hand smack in the jaw from Charlotte's weapon. She tumbled down beside her friend.

Dan looked accusingly at Charlotte. "What?" She replied with a shrug.


	8. Chapter 8: And The Other

**Chapter Eight: …And The Other**

Andie awoke tasting blood and with a killer headache. She was on her back in the mud with the lump of an unconscious Kate beside her. Charlotte and Dan were nowhere to be seen but they'd been kind enough to move them away from the water onto the bank. Cursing their supposed rescuers; Andie pulled herself up into a sitting position and rolled Kate onto her back. Her friend had a large gash on her head and blood trickling out of it. Pulling Kate out of the mud and onto her lap Andie worried silently how on earth she'd get to Jack when she had no intention of leaving Kate behind. It turned out she needn't have worried; she heard Jack and Juliet's voices in the near distance.

"We should've caught up with 'em by now…" Jack was saying.

"These people base jumped out of a helicopter, Jack." Juliet replied. "Let's give 'em the benefit of the doubt."

"Jack?" Andie called out. She heard both sets of feet stop suddenly. "Jack!"

"Andie?" Jack sounded shocked as he hurried towards her voice. "Oh, god." He breathed when he saw Andie with Kate in her arms. "What the hell happened?"

"Charlotte and Daniel." Andie replied with a shake of her head.

Jack knelt down and took Kate out of Andie's arm. "How longs she been out?" he asked as he carefully checked her head.

"I dunno; I just woke up." Andie replied, tentatively touching her chin where Charlotte had clocked her.

"Are you alright?" Juliet asked Andie concernedly.

Andie nodded and got to her feet. She looked over Jack's shoulder as he tried to rouse Kate. She started to come to and groaned in pain. "Hey; it's ok." Jack said soothingly. "It's ok. It's alright; just take it easy." He pulled her into his arms. "Take it easy."

"I'll go get her some water." Juliet offered.

Andie turned to tell her that they had plenty in their packs but Juliet was already gone.

"Andie; what happened?" Jack asked her.

"I was just bringing Kate back to the beach." Andie told him. "We ran into Daniel and Charlotte. She hit Kate first."

"They disappeared from camp last night; we've been trying to catch up with them." Jack told her.

"Where were they headed?" Kate asked tiredly.

"Some sort of power station." Jack shrugged.

Kate and Andie exchanged a worried look. "Jack; they had gas masks." Kate recalled.

Jack looked furtively around and noticed Juliet was gone. "Juliet? Juliet!" He called. He helped Kate to her feet and left her with Andie while he ran quickly to the river. "Juliet!"

"She went that way." Andie pointed. "Looking for water."

"You two ok to walk?" Jack asked.

"Yeah." Kate straightened on her feet.

"Totally." Andie chimed in. She was taken aback slightly when Jack came towards her and took her face in his hands. He tilted her chin to see her wound more closely. "Ow." She grumbled.

"Sorry." Jack smirked. "Doesn't look too bad. It'll bruise, though."

"Yeah; and I think she chipped a tooth." Andie muttered. "Bitch."

Jack made sure both women were well hydrated before the three of them continued on after Juliet. It didn't take long before Kate was in the lead; following Juliet's tracks. Bending down she rifled through some tramped leaf litter on the jungle floor.

"She came through here." Kate told Jack and Andie. "So did they; about half an hour ahead of her."

The three of them continued on. "What happened?" Jack asked.

"Sorry?" Kate asked evasively.

"At Locke's." He reminded her; seeing straight through her ignorant facade.

"I had to find something out." Kate replied.

"Are you gonna tell me, or are we gonna keep walking through the jungle like it doesn't matter?" Jack pressed.

The two of them stopped. Andie hung back a few steps to give them the illusion of privacy.

Kate sighed. "I stayed to find out if the people on the freighter know who I am... if they knew that I'm a fugitive... that I'm wanted for murder." She admitted.

"Do they?"

"Yeah, they know." Kate walked on. "We should keep moving. God knows where Juliet is."

Jack waited behind with Andie and the two of them kept a short distance behind Kate; sensing she preferred it that way for the moment. "So what about you?" Jack asked Andie as they walked.

"S'cuse me?" Andie replied.

"Why did you leave?" Jack asked. "Are you alright? I mean; the baby?"

"Yeah; I think so." Andie told him with a smile. "But that's not why...well, not totally why." She briefly explained her paternity issue; hoping she didn't come off sounding like a whore who couldn't keep track of her partners. But Jack didn't seem to judge her. In fact he supported her decision; even making the comment that now they needed to find Juliet faster.

About an hour later they came across a large, rusting building atop a hill. It was humming with electricity when the three of them arrived and Juliet and Charlotte were exiting. Kate ran towards both of them with her gun at the ready.

"Whoa; Kate; it's alright." Juliet said. "They're on our side."

"Our side?" Kate scoffed. "They knocked Andie and me unconscious."

"Yeah. I'm very sorry about that, but I had no choice." Charlotte said; looking between Andie and Kate. "Look, Daniel's inside securing the facility. If you come with me, I will be more than happy to explain exactly how we just saved your life."

"All right. Let's go." Kate jeered her gun at Charlotte and the two of them headed inside the Tempest. Jack was close behind.

"Andie; why are you out here?" Juliet asked when they were alone.

"I need your help." Andie said with a shrug. "How long will it take us to get to the medical hatch?"

**xxx**

It took Juliet and Andie a grand total of three hours to make their way back to the medical hatch; the Staff. It was closer to the Barracks than Andie had realized; she could get herself back there easily. But that meant she wouldn't get to say goodbye to Jack and Kate. Juliet had been more than willing to help Andie out which made her feel like at least there was some good in her; she did care about women dying on this island and wanted to protect them. Andie was still uneasy around her but she felt very strongly that Juliet wouldn't harm her at all while pregnant.

"What'll happen to me?" Andie broke the silence between them as they walked down the damp steps of the Staff.

"When?" Juliet asked; reaching for two torches in a case on the wall at the bottom of the stairs. She handed one back to Andie.

"If I got pregnant on the island." Andie replied; clicking on her torch.

Juliet stopped and turned around to Andie. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Andie nodded.

Juliet sighed. "First off you'll experience nausea that won't go away. And I'm not talking just morning sickness. A week after that you'll constantly be breathless. A week after that you'll collapse...and slip into a coma..." Tears filled her eyes; each one a memory of a mother and baby Juliet hadn't been able to save. And standing before her; another mother possibly facing the same fate. "And then, Andie; you'll die. And so will your baby."

Fear and bile rose in Andie's throat. "Then let's do this." She swallowed hard.

Juliet nodded and led her to a hidden room filled with baby toys, a cot, a change table, bottles, diapers, clothes, blankets and everything else that could possibly be needed to house a baby. In the corner was an exam table with an ultrasound machine beside it.

"Sit up on the table and lift up your shirt." Juliet instructed Andie calmly as she set up the equipment she needed.

Suddenly sick to her stomach with nerves, Andie climbed onto the table and lay on her back. She lifted her shirt exposing her middle and tried to calm down. But she couldn't help thinking she was at the point of no return. If she conceived on the island; then she was going to die. So to live and have the baby that she'd pretty much accepted she was never going to have; Andie would have to leave the island.

"Ok." Juliet said; signalling they were ready to start. She squirted some gel onto Andie's abdomen and clicked on the machine. She held the wand over Andie's stomach and moved it around slightly.

Andie closed her eyes; terrified that her baby's heart wouldn't be beating. After all the walking she'd done and being hit over the head...it was a lot of trauma. But her worries were eased when the echoed thumping of a foetal heartbeat rang through the room.

"Baby's heart's still strong." Juliet smiled.

Andie opened her eyes and saw the black and white image of her child. In all honesty she could hardly see it but the heart was definitely there; beating fast and strong. "It's still fast..."

"It's normal." Juliet assured her. "Baby's hearts always beat faster." Juliet leant in and studied the screen of the monitor. "Ok...you crashed on this island ninety-five days ago. The foetus is approximately...five weeks along in development...so thirty-five days. Andie; you got pregnant on the Island."

Void of her ability to speak; Andie just stared at the shadow that was her child. Her and Sawyer's child. Tears welled in her eyes. _Sawyer._

"I'm so sorry; Andie." Juliet held Andie's hand in her own. "I am so sorry..."

Andie shook her head. "Don't be." She smiled. "I'm having a baby."

**xxx**


	9. Chapter 9: Yearning

**Chapter Nine: Yearning**

Andie and Juliet left the hatch a few moments later; Andie's bag bursting with gifts for Claire and Aaron; mostly clothes, diapers and blankets.

"Andie; you need to come back to the beach with me." Juliet told her sternly. "You won't survive on this island. You have approximately one month before you become symptomatic."

"I can't just leave." Andie said quietly. "I mean...I have to talk to Sawyer...and Claire..."

Juliet smiled sympathetically. "If he loves you; he'll come with you."

"I have to get back." Andie said as she headed in the direction of the Barracks.

"Andie." Juliet called her back with a stern tone. "You can't stay here."

"Thank you for helping me." Andie told her. Then she turned and walked quickly away.

Juliet's words rang through Andie's mind as she wandered back to the Barracks along with the image of her unborn baby. Sawyer's baby. She was still adjusting to that fact. And now she could either stay with her baby's father and die...or go home to Nick - a man who still loved her - pregnant with another man's baby. So many thoughts rang through her mind...what if Sawyer didn't want to leave? He'd said more than once that he had nothing to go back home to. But would that change now that they were having a child? He had been becoming more paternal since they'd arrived at the Barracks; watching Aaron every now and again, discussing baby names; really acting like he was ready to be a parent. Or at least willing to try.

**xxx**

Sawyer checked how many bullets he had left in his gun before going in to see Claire. He had no intention at all of using the gun around Claire and her son but he knew he was more than likely going to have to go tromping into the jungle after his woman; again. Claire was sitting on the couch rocking Aaron back and forth; staring at the blank TV.

"Alright; the truth now Claire." Sawyer said to her. "Come on; I know Andie didn't just go romping off with Kate for fun. It's almost sundown; she should be back by now."

"She went to see Juliet." Claire said tiredly; not wanting to deal with the drama.

"Why the hell would she do something so stupid?" Sawyer asked irritably.

"To find out whose baby she's carrying." Claire got to her feet and moved Aaron over her shoulder. "Don't be mad at her; she's doing it for you." With that Claire went into her bedroom and shut the door.

Anger and confusion swirled in Sawyer's mind as he stormed out of his house and walked across the grounds towards the jungle.

Karl, who had been rocking gently on the swing set with Alex, saw Sawyer exiting his house and head away. "Hey; Sawyer!" He called as he jumped up and followed him. "Wait up!" He had to jog to keep up with Sawyer's long strides. "Where are you going? You shouldn't go out there alone with those rescue people looking for us-"

"Stay outta this, Karl." Sawyer muttered under his breath.

"Is it Andie?" Karl asked urgently. "Did something happen?"

"Karl; said let it go." Sawyer snapped at him.

"No; I'm sick of being left out of things. I wanna help!" Karl snapped back.

Sawyer looked at the young boy. He liked Karl; he was a good kid. Smart. Reasoning that it couldn't hurt to have someone who knows the island on board; Sawyer relented. "Fine. But you stay close to me, right?"

Karl waved a quick goodbye to Alex, miming that he'd be back soon, and hurried after Sawyer.

**xxx**

Andie stopped for another break. Every time she grew even slightly breathless; she stopped. The symptoms Juliet had told her about were repeatedly swirling around her brain. She'd said Andie had about a month before they started but that didn't make Andie any less nervous.

The sun was practically gone by the time Andie got back on her feet. She still had the torch from the Staff in her hands so she managed to manoeuvre her way back on the track to the Barracks. It was pretty easy to find since when everyone who'd decided to stay on the island had come through the jungle they'd made a hell of an impression. Any old fool could follow it.

"Andie!" A very familiar voice called to her.

"Sawyer." Andie muttered under her breath; shaking her head. She realized she was more than slightly naïve to think that her little plan of taking a walk with Kate would actually hold. "Yeah!" Andie called out loud. "Over here!"

Soon she was joined by Sawyer and Karl. "What the hell you doing out here?" Sawyer asked her with confused eyes.

"I was with Kate." Andie replied.

"No; you were with Juliet." Sawyer said. Andie looked shocked that he knew the truth. "Yeah; Claire gave ya up."

Andie opened and closed her mouth a couple of times. Why would Claire betray her like that? Had Sawyer pressed her for information?

"Whatever; it's late." Sawyer grumbled and turned around. "Let's go back."

Andie trailed behind Sawyer and Karl for the next twenty minutes until they arrived back at the Barracks. Alex was waiting for Karl with Danielle on the porch of their home. The young girl ran at her boyfriend as soon as she laid eyes on him. Sawyer headed for his own house but didn't wait for Andie. She followed him in and found him in the bathroom preparing for a shower.

"Don't be mad at me." Andie told him firmly.

"Whose is it?" Sawyer asked her reflection bluntly. "And don't you dare lie to me."

Andie swallowed hard. "Yours." She mumbled; tears appearing in her eyes again. _Damn hormones,_ she said to herself. "I got pregnant on the island."

Sawyer sighed, bent down and washed his face. He lifted his head and tossed his sandy, blonde hair back off his face. "Then why are you crying?"

Andie swallowed again; even harder. "Because...I can't stay here." She said with a sad shrug. "Women who get pregnant on this island die." She then rattled off all the symptoms she'd acquire in the coming weeks if she'd stay on the island. "So, if I stay here both of us die."

Sawyer turned around and looked her up and down. "You want me to leave, too?"

Andie nodded. "James; I understand why you don't want to leave this island; I do." She paused, biting her lip. "I know you have no reason to believe Juliet. But I do. I believe that if I stay here; I'll die. Our baby will die." She paused again. "I have to leave."

"Andie, no." Sawyer said with pleading eyes.

Andie shook her head. "I'm not asking you to come with me but...James; I love you. I really do." She drew in a ragged breath. "And I want to be with you…but I want this baby more. I'm sorry..." She covered her mouth with her hand and left him alone in the bathroom.

Heading into the hallway, Andie made a detour and went into Claire's room. Her friend was sitting with Aaron on her bed; rocking him to sleep. "You told him?" Andie asked with sad, angry eyes.

"He was worried." Claire answered with a blank expression.

"But I asked you not to tell." Andie reminded her. Her friend didn't respond. "Alright; Claire...I know you miss Charlie but you can't live like this-"

"Stop it." Claire shook her head.

"He died, Claire." Andie continued carefully. "He's gone and I don't think you're dealing with it."

Claire stood up and looked at Andie; tears in her eyes. "Not dealing with it? How would _you_ know, Andie?!" She yelled. "Your big concern is whether to stay here with Sawyer or run back to Nick! Charlie was the only one who...he…" Tears overcame Claire as her face broke into sobs.

"Claire." Andie moved towards her.

"No!" Claire snapped pointing a finger at Andie. "Just stop it! Don't talk about Charlie! You're not allowed to! You didn't know him!" Aaron started crying beside them.

"I'm sorry, Claire, but-" Andie started.

"No, _I'm_ sorry, Andie." Claire replied bitterly. "I'm sorry that I'm not as strong as you. I wish I was, but I'm not." She paused and chewed her lower lip. "You left someone behind in the real world and you have to live every day wondering what he's doing without you there. You don't even know if you're going to see him again. If I were you I'd be a total wreck." She paused, her breath ragged. "You love so easily, Andie. And I wish that I could do that, but I can't. I'm not like you." She picked up her crying baby and cradled him over her heart. "I just handle things differently, ok? So, please, just let me go and take care of my son and deal with this the only way that I know how." With that she left the room.

Andie watched her friend go and, for the first time in a long time, she had no idea what to do.

**xxx**


	10. Chapter 10: Meet & Greet

**Chapter Ten: Meet & Greet**

Later that night, Andie found herself in the playground of the Barracks swinging slowly by herself. Claire, minus Aaron but carrying a plate with a sandwich on it, came over and sat in the swing beside her.

"I brought you something to eat." Claire handed Andie the plate. "Sorry about before."

Andie smiled and took the plate. "Don't even think on it, Claire." She said.

"It's just so hard without him…Charlie." Claire swung slowly; her bare feet grazing the sand below her. "I never realized until he was gone that...that he was literally _always_ there; ever since I met him; the night we crashed." She sighed. "I miss him so much." She added under her breath.

"I know you do." Andie nodded slowly; leaning her head against the chain of the swing.

They swung quietly together for about ten minutes before things started moving at the Barracks. Locke went door to door talking to people and then came over to Claire and Andie.

"Ladies; I'd like to talk to everyone in my house in about five minutes." He said with his hands on his hips.

"Talk about what, John?" Claire asked.

"Everything." He answered with a purposeful nod. Then he turned and headed back to his own house.

Andie turned to Claire and raised her eyebrows. In the moonlight she could see Claire's similar expression. Both women got to their feet. "This should be interesting." Andie muttered.

**xxx**

Strange was a word that Andie had used many times since arriving at the Barracks and she used it once again as she sat in Locke's house between Claire and Sawyer while staring at Ben Linus. Ben was sitting in the centre of a room, his hands bound with ropes, with all the other survivors standing around him. Most wore a similar expression to Sawyer; stern, steely and skeptical. Karl bore almost the exact same look as the Southerner while Alex and her mother both had the same narrowed eyes glaring down at Ben. No one said a word; they only sound that was heard were Aaron's coos from Claire's arms. That was until Locke came through the front door with a tied-up Miles in his hands.

"Thank you all for your patience." Locke addressed the group. "I know it's taken me a few days to... figure out our next move, but I didn't want to do anything until I knew more about our situation. You deserve to know everything that I do, so... no more secrets." His statement was met with many a doubtful raised eyebrow. "As you all know, Miles here and three of his people came to the Island about a week ago. So I brought him up from the boathouse to share with us exactly why they're here." He nudged his captive.

" We're here for him." Miles nodded at Ben who smirked in response.

"Um, we kind of, like, knew that forever ago." Hurley spoke up.

"Well, all right then." Sawyer added. "Problem solved. How soon do we turn him over?"

"We can't turn him over." Locke answered.

"And why the hell not?" Sawyer asked; his arms flexing in anger as he folded them across his chest.

"Because, James, once they have me, their orders are to kill everyone else on the Island." Ben piped up.

"Kill us all?" Andie added her voice to the equation. "Are you serious?" she directed her second question at Miles.

"That's what we were told." Miles replied quietly.

"Wait. So... what, he's one of us now?" Claire asked irritably; she was not at all keen on defending the man who had planned to take her child. "You're--you're gonna protect him? He tried to kill you, John."

"He won't even tell us who his spy on the boat is." Hurley reminded Locke.

"It's Michael." Ben said easily.

"What?!" Hurley, Claire and Andie yelped in unison.

"My spy on the freighter is Michael." He told them with a smirk.

"I'm sorry." Sawyer spoke up; a confused smile on his face. He looked menacingly at Locke. "You mean the same guy that killed two women in cold blood to set this little bastard free? And then sold all of us out so he could get off the Island? That Michael?"

"Yes, James." Locke said with a sigh. "That Michael."

The following uproar was pretty much expected. Everyone wanted to know why they hadn't been told this before; how Michael had come to be on the boat and Claire brought up the important point of Walt.

"Is he on the boat, too?" She asked Ben, grasping Aaron even firmer in her arms.

"He is not." Ben answered.

"So you send Michael away just to bring him back?" Andie inquired; getting to her feet.

"That's enough, Andie." Locke said as he grabbed Miles by the arm. "We're done here." He opened the door and exited with his prisoner. Sawyer quickly followed.

Andie waited with Claire while Alex and Karl cooed over Aaron; Ben's eyes stuck on his daughter, then the three of them went back to their own house. Andie took Claire and Aaron into their house and showed her the things she'd retrieved from the Staff hatch. The two women bathed Aaron and wrapped him in a clean blanket. Claire then pulled a long-sleeved infant's singlet onto her son.

"He looks so weird in clothes." Andie commented as she let the water in the sink drain out.

"I know, right?" Claire agreed, kissing her son's head. She followed the kiss with a long yawn.

"You should go to bed; I can watch him." Andie offered.

Claire shook her head. "Thanks but he didn't have a long nap today; I'd rather get him down now."

Andie nodded. "Well; sleep in tomorrow; I'll grab him for you."

"Now that is an offer I _will_ take up." Claire smiled. "Good night."

"Night." Andie smiled back as she watched them leave; thinking that for the first time in awhile Claire seemed to be a little bit relaxed.

Andie toweled off the drying plates and cups by the sink and put them away before heading to bed. Sawyer was still outside arguing with Locke so she got ready for bed. As she reached out to pull back the blankets over the mattress she spied a note on her pillow in Sawyer's handwriting.

_Did you really think a note would keep me from following you?_

Smiling to herself, Andie crumpled up the note and tossed it aside. She climbed into bed; fully intending to wait until Sawyer came in, but was asleep within minutes.

**xxx**

Andie awoke just after sunrise the next morning. She felt Sawyer's warm body beside her. She rolled over and saw him sleeping soundly. Smiling to herself, Andie sat up on her elbow and felt a twinge in her stomach followed by a low grumble.

"Ugh." She muttered as she got to her feet. Not a moment too soon; bile rose in the back of her throat so fast she barely made it to the bathroom sink. She washed the vomit down the drain then wet the back of her neck.

"You alright, sweetheart?" Sawyer's tired voice said from the door way.

Andie washed her mouth out a couple of times. "Yeah." She muttered to the sink as she straightened up and turned around.

"You're white as a sheet." Sawyer commented; stepping towards her and feeling her forehead.

"Yeah, well…my mother told me she had morning sickness the whole time she was pregnant with me." Andie felt her own forehead; her skin was clammy.

"How 'bout breakfast?" Sawyer offered.

"Uh-uh." Andie shook her head. Suddenly she thought of Claire. "Oh; I have to get Aaron. I told Claire I'd let her sleep in." She brushed past Sawyer and went into Claire's room.

Aaron was already awake and sucking on the arm of his singlet when Andie peered at him in his washing basket. He smiled and gurgled when he saw her face. Andie looked over at Claire who was snugly wrapped up in her blankets and then scooped Aaron up in her arms. She went out into the living room to see that they'd been joined by Hurley. He was rifling through the games cupboard by the TV.

"What's going on?" Andie asked as she held Aaron over her shoulder.

"Challenged Locke to a game of Risk at my place." Hurley replied; reappearing with the game in his hands. "The game of world domination. Wanna play?"

"Sure." Andie agreed. She wasn't really into playing the game but she didn't mind getting out of the house and leaving Claire to sleep for awhile longer.

Andie, Hurley, Sawyer and Aaron all trooped next door to Locke's where the boys started a heavy-hitting game. Andie's morning sickness seems to worsen if she stood up for too long so she spent most of her time lying flat on her back on the couch with hot tea as she listened to Hurley lay out his strategies with Sawyer.

"Andie; help me out here." Hurley called to her. Aaron cooed in his arms; he'd taken over baby-sitting so Andie could take it easy. "Australia's the key to the game, right?"

"You know it, Hugo." Andie replied; pulling herself into a sitting position and getting to her feet slowly.

"Feeling better?" Locke asked her.

"Yeah..." Andie replied cautiously as she took a few tentative steps towards them. Her stomach lurched. "Oh, no..." She took off for the bathroom. She returned a few minutes later. "God; why do I bother coming outta there..." She grumbled.

"Eat crackers." Hurley told her. "I saw it in a movie; this pregnant chick could only eat crackers or she'd, y'know...hurl."

"Thanks; that was inspired." Andie told him.

"There's crackers in the cupboard." Locke told Andie.

Sawyer smirked and nodded at Hurley. "Your move."

Hurley sighed and looked back at the game board. "We're all gonna die."

"Calm down, Chicken Little." Sawyer quipped back. "The sky ain't falling just yet."

"This is exactly what he wants." Hurley jeered his head at Locke. "To fight amongst ourselves. You're making a big mistake, dude."

"It's his to make, Hugo." Locke piped up in an even voice. He turned to Sawyer. "Let's get on with it."

"Right...I'm attackin' Siberia." He chucked the dice and laughed before picking off some of Hurley's pieces.

"Can't believe you're just giving him Australia." Hurley grumbled. "I told you Australia's the key to the whole game. Andie?"

"I'm with you." Andie agreed as she sat in a stool by the bench and dove into a box of crackers she'd found.

"Says you two." Sawyer said with a grin as he rolled the dice again.

What followed was something that none of them expected to hear; a sound they had all long forgotten about. So foreign its sound took a moment so all of them could register what it was.

The phone rang.

**xxx**


	11. Chapter 11: Shapes & Sizes

**Chapter Eleven: Shapes & Sizes**

Andie, Sawyer, Locke, Hurley and even Aaron all stared at the phone as it rang. Andie answered since it was only an arm's reach from her. There was a loud beep before an obviously automated female voice began repeating. "Code 14-J. Code 14-J." With a confused look on her face, Andie held the phone away from her ear.

Locke got to his feet and took the phone from her. He listened for a few seconds then hung up the phone. "I think it's for Ben." He said.

"Ben?" Sawyer got to his feet quickly and came over to listen to the phone himself.

"Should we tell the others?" Andie asked.

"No; not yet." Locke answered.

"What the hell is Code 14-J?" Sawyer asked as he lowered the phone.

"Let's find out." Locke told him. "Andie; you and Hurley stay here with the baby."

"Wait, but-" Andie started but Locke was already out the door.

"Don't worry, Angel." Sawyer said to her. "We'll bring you along next op." He smirked at her and left.

"Op?" Hurley asked; jiggling a suddenly fussy Aaron in his arms.

"Operation." Andie sighed. "Military talk. No doubt something he picked up from a movie." She winked at Hurley. It turned out they didn't have to wait too long. Barely five minutes later; Andie heard Ben, Sawyer and Locke arguing on the front step. She went out to them.

"How long did you guys debate amongst yourselves whether or not to ask me why the _phone rang_?" Ben was asking as Andie appeared behind him.

Five minutes." Locke answered with a shrug.

"Well, so much for our head start." Ben said, clearly very agitated.

"What's going on?" Andie asked worriedly.

"They're coming." Ben told her without turning around. "And you better be out of sight when they do."

"Hold up. If we're hunkerin' down, I gotta grab Frenchie and the kids." Sawyer said, already turning away.

"Don't bother." Ben said, making Sawyer turn back. "They're safe. I sent Rousseau, Alex and Karl away yesterday."

"Away where?" Sawyer asked indignantly. Ben didn't reply.

"Claire's still sleeping." Andie realized. "I'll get her."

"No; you stay here with the kid; I'll grab her." Sawyer told her with a serious look in his eyes. "It'll only take a second.

"There's no time." Ben said fiercely.

Sawyer chucked his shotgun to Locke. "I'll make time." He growled at Ben.

Locke began to leave with Sawyer but Ben stopped right away. "It's very important that you survive what's about to happen here, John. So I need you to stay close to me.

"And why would I do that?" Locke asked with narrowed eyes.

"Because the people that are coming won't risk hurting me." Ben said. "You want to live? I'm your best chance."

Ben spoke in a way that made Andie extremely uncomfortable but with Aaron in the house; she knew she needed to be near him so she headed into the house with Ben and Locke. Then all of a sudden Ben went slightly crazy. Well, crazier. He started moving couches and bookshelves to block all the doors and windows of his house.

Locke helped him barricade a window. "These people who are coming—you're scared of 'em aren't you?" he asked.

"That's right, John, I am." Ben answered as he emptied another bookshelf and pulled it across the front doorway.

"Wait; Sawyer and Claire have to get back in." Andie reminded them.

"No; they're not." Ben told her.

"What?!" Andie yelped. "You can't leave them out there; you said these people will kill all of us!"

"They will; which means we have to stay inside." Ben snapped back.

"Not without Claire and Sawyer." Andie countered firmly. "Her baby's in here."

As if on cue, Hurley appeared from the back room with a crying Aaron over his shoulder. "What's going on?"

"They're coming for him." Andie jeered her head at Ben.

"Hugo; get away from the window!" Locke yelled at him.

"Gimme the baby." Andie told him; reaching for Aaron. Hurley handed him over and then went to help Locke block another window. Andie tried to soothe the baby but he didn't seem to want to stop crying; Andie had the feeling he knew his mother was in danger. "It's ok." She whispered to him.

All of a sudden, the unmistakable sound of gunfire could be heard. Andie automatically shielded Aaron's head and ducked into the hallway. "Hurley; move!" She yelled at her friend who was peering out the window. He crouched down out of sight.

The gunfire continued as did shouts of anguish. Andie's heart was racing. Sawyer was a smart man and a clever shot but even he couldn't stand alone against a team of armed forces; especially with only a shotgun with limited bullets for protection. Then she started hearing Sawyer's yells.

"Claire?" He called; followed by a much more urgent yell. "_CLAIRE_!"

A soft whistling followed his last yell before a ground-shattering bang that shook the walls of Ben's house. Andie, Hurley, Locke and Ben all instinctively crouched to the ground. Andie slid to the floor in the hall, trying to encompass as much of her body around Aaron as she could.

"Was that Claire's house?" Hurley said. He was the first to get up and look out the window.

Even stronger fear rose in Andie's heart. It had been Claire's house; she knew it. Apparently so did Aaron, his cries were as earnest as ever; he wanted his mother. Andie could only hope that Sawyer had gotten Claire out in time. Then all of a sudden the gunshots stopped and an eerie silence fell over the Barracks.

"You need to tell me what's going on!" Locke yelled at Ben.

"Why did they stop shooting?" Andie added, not wanting to step out of the hallway; it was the only place she could stand and see what was going on without being in the line of fire through any of the windows or the front door.

"They're trying to frighten me into surrendering." Ben answered Locke as he reloaded his gun.

Andie listened to Locke and Ben argue as she tried to soothe Aaron. Locke asked Ben why he told him he needed to survive and Ben brought up Jacob and his cabin. Andie vaguely remembered Hurley talking about a cabin he'd seen in the jungle the day Charlie had died. Sure enough, when Locke claimed not to know where the cabin was, Ben uttered a simple_ 'Hurley does'_.

"Open the front door!!" Sawyer's urgent yell drifted into Andie's ears. She and Hurley exchanged a look and he looked out the window. Immediately, Hurley started removing the chairs from the front door.

Ben cocked his gun. "Hugo; you don't want to do that."

"Open the damn door!!" Sawyer yelled even louder.

Andie realized he was on the porch. She hurried to the window and saw him with a woozy Claire in his arms. "Open it!" She screeched.

"No!" Ben yelled.

Sawyer kicked the door. "Open the door!!!"

Hurley took matters into his own hands. He determinedly grabbed an ottoman and chucked it through the window; shattering it to pieces. Barely a second later, Sawyer was passing Claire through the window to Hurley and scurrying in after her.

"Is she alright?" Locke asked, blocking the window again as Sawyer came in.

"She got her bell rung but she's gonna be alright." Sawyer said gasping as he leant against the wall to catch his breath. Hurley pushed past them and took Claire to the back bedroom.

"Are you alright?" Andie asked concernedly, tears for him, Claire – for all of them – stung her eyes.

"Yeah; I'm fine." He told her. "I am." He assured her when he saw her bite her lip uneasily. "Take the kid back to his mama; we got this."

Andie nodded and headed quickly out the back to Claire. Hurley was arranging pillows behind her head so she could sit up. "She ok?" Andie asked, worriedly watching her friend.

"I'm fine." Claire told her with a shaky smile.

"Where you in that house when it blew up?" Andie asked as she sat on the bed next to her and handed Aaron over.

Claire nodded. "I'd barely gotten dressed when I heard Sawyer yelling my name. Then there was this huge bang and the next thing I knew I saw Char—um, I saw Sawyer." She held Aaron close to her chest.

Andie furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to reply but a voice from outside made her stop. It was a gruff, male voice she didn't recognize.

"You're gonna step out the front door, put your hands above your head, and you're gonna walk straight to me." The voice was saying.

Andie moved to the window beside Hurley and peered through the curtains. A tall, chiseled army man in camouflage was talking on a radio and staring intently at the house.

"Who is that?" Andie asked Hurley. He shook his wirey-haired head in response.

"Once I have you in my custody, then I promise you that no one else in that house will be harmed." The man continued.

"Wait here with Claire." Andie told him as she left the room and went back to Sawyer. Ben was standing with at the window with a satellite phone in his hand obviously talking to the army man outside. "What's going on?" Andie nudged Sawyer.

"That guy out there, Keamy, he's like their leader." Sawyer nodded at Miles; indicating him and the freighter crew.

"I thought he said he'd never negotiate with them." Andie said to Sawyer with a raise of her eyebrow.

"They got his daughter." Sawyer muttered with a growl in his voice.

"You and I both know that once you have me, there's nothing to stop you from killing everybody else on this island." Ben said with a shaky voice.

"What kind of guy do you think I am?" Keamy's voice came through the phone.

Ben paused before continuing. "Martin Christopher Keamy--former first sergeant, United States Marine Corps, served with distinction from 1996 to 2001, but since then, you've worked with a number of mercenary organizations, specifically in Uganda. So I know exactly what kind of man you are, Mr. Keamy, and we can dispense with the formalities."

"Okay, Ben. You got it." Keamy told him. There was some scuffling on the phone line before Keamy's gravelly voice sounded again. "Get your ass out here right now... or I'm gonna kill your daughter.

Sawyer and Andie both moved to a window and peered outside; they could clearly see a very scared looking Alex kneeling before Keamy; his gun to the back of her head. Andie stood ahead of Sawyer but he pushed her behind him; shielding her body with his. Andie had to peer over his shoulder to see.

"I'd like to present a counterproposal." Ben said shakily after a few silent moments.

"I'm listening." Keamy replied.

"You and your friends...you turn around." Ben suggested. "Walk back to your helicopter. You fly away and forget you ever heard of this island."

"Tell your daddy good-bye." Keamy handed her the phone.

"Dad...they're serious." Alex's terrified voice came through the phone. "They killed Karl...and my mother."

Andie, who was pressing her own body against Sawyer's back, felt him heave a sigh when he heard Karl was dead.

"Alex... I have this under control." Ben said; obviously trying to keep his voice steady. "Everything's gonna be okay."

"Please, daddy!" Alex sobbed. "Just please, please."

Keamy snatched the phone out of her hands. "You have ten seconds, Ben."

"Okay, listen." Ben said hurriedly.

"Nine..."

"She's not my daughter." Ben said; his voice choked up.

"Eight..."

"I stole her as a baby from an insane woman." Ben said. "She's a pawn, nothing more. She means nothing to me." It was obvious in the way he spoke he didn't mean what he was saying. "I'm not coming out of this house. So if you want to kill her, go ahead and do it--"

A muffled gunshot sounded and Andie could do nothing but watch in utter horror as Alex's young body hit the dirt with a sickening heaviness. Covering her mouth, Andie stepped away from Sawyer, who couldn't seem to take his eyes off her, and felt tears running down her cheeks. She glanced over at Ben who looked utterly shocked and dumbfounded; his gaze locked on his daughter. It was the first sign of emotion Andie had ever seen him exhibit.

**xxx**


	12. Chapter 12: Coming & Going

_Hey guys; I posted these last 4 chapters because I'm not going to be able to update for a week or so; I will definitely post the rest when I come back though! Thanks for sticking with me ;] Hope you like these chapters :):)_

**Chapter Twelve: Coming & Going**

Sawyer started pacing back and forth in the living room in front of Locke, Miles, Andie and Ben. Ben was still staring out the window; horrified that he'd just let those people slaughter the only thing that mattered in his life.

"I don't see 'em." Sawyer told them; glancing momentarily out the window. "They just left her body there and disappeared into the jungle."

"They won't be gone for long." Locke spoke up. 'It's gonna be dark in about 20 minutes, and then they're gonna come for him." He pointed at Locke.

"Then let's just hand him over." Andie muttered. She'd taken a seat in an easy chair to think for a few moments. If these people were willing to murder and innocent teenage girl for Ben; they'd certainly have no problems killing Claire and Aaron. If Ben would keep them happy; Andie didn't see the downside in sending him off.

"I agree." Sawyer said. "Hand him over."

"I don't think these people have any intentions of letting us walk of here alive, James, no matter what we do." Locke answered with his hands on his hips.

"Well, I ain't got no intention of dyin'." Sawyer retorted.

"He changed the rules." Ben muttered almost inaudibly.

Locke stepped towards him and looked out the window. Ben walked passed him towards the wall beside the front door.

"What? Who? What rules?" Locke asked.

Sawyer moved closer to Locke. "You know I'm right." He whispered. "Our best chance here is to toss him out and fend for ourselves."

"Hey!" Andie yelled as she saw Ben disappear into a hidden room behind the wall.

Sawyer and Locke turned to see him bolt. "Hey! Where you goin'?!" Sawyer yelled as he ran after him. He was too late; Ben hit a trigger which activated a steel security door that completely blocked Sawyer from following. However; it didn't stop him from pounding his fists against it.

"Open this damn door!" He hollered. "Open up!" he turned back to Locke and Andie. "Son of a bitch just left us here. Open the damn door!" He punched it again. He continued punching for about ten full minutes; enough time for the sun to disappear completely on the horizon. Andie was about to tell him once again to cease his hammering when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see Hurley and Claire, holding Aaron, coming into the room. "Claire." She said.

"What's going on?" Claire asked her.

"Claire?" Locke asked worriedly; stepping towards her.

Sawyer turned away from the security door for a moment. "You all right, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Yeah, a bit wobbly, but, uh, I'll live." Claire smiled tiredly.

"Well, I wouldn't be too sure about that." Miles told her; looking her up and down.

Suddenly the steel door opened up, revealing a dirty but determined looking Ben. "Excuse me, James." He said as he pushed past Sawyer.

"'Scuse you?" Sawyer repeated as Ben walked quickly to the couch and pocketed the walkie-talkie. "What were you doing in there?"

Ben turned to the group of them. "Okay, listen to me very carefully: I need all of you to do exactly as I say. In a minute, we have to run from this house as fast as we can. At that moment, when I give the order, I want you to head straight for the tree line."

"You mean _towards_ the guys with guns?" Hurley asked skeptically.

"No, we want to be as far away from them as possible." Ben corrected him.

"Then where are they..." Andie started but she was cut off when the whole house began to shake; similar to an earthquake.

Glasses from the shelves in the kitchen shattered to the floor. Hurley pulled Claire into the hallway and she wrapped her arms tightly around her son. Sawyer moved to Andie and pulled her up out of the chair by her hand then he stood behind her, an arm securely around her shoulder; holding her protectively to his chest. Ben was standing by the window; watching what Andie could see was the smoke monster, barrelling out of nowhere past the house and towards the treeline; lightning sticking within the dark clouds. It roared and chittered as disappeared into the jungle.

"Okay, outside. Outside now!" Ben hollered to all of them.

Locke opened the front door and ushered all of them out into the yard. Andie quickly grabbed her back which she knew had three full water bottles in it before she followed Hurley outside. They all watched, transfixed as the clicking and roaring sounds of the monster shook the jungle along with the sound of Keamy and his men firing and yelling to one another; trying to fight it and obviously losing.

"What did you do?!" Locke yelled over the noise to Ben. He didn't answer.

"Did you just call that thing?!" Hurley asked; watching the trees collapse under the monster's attacks.

Again, Ben didn't answer. Ahead of them, an army man wildly firing a machine gun behind him ran towards them out of the jungle. Sawyer readied he's gun but the man turned and knelt down to get a better aim but was almost immediately enveloped by the monster and dragged back into the jungle; leaving his gun behind.

Sawyer pushed Claire, Hurley and Andie behind him. "Go! GO!" He screamed, turning them around and running with them all towards the opposite treeline. The group moved as quickly as they could; it was only when the sound of the monster clicking and chirping was in the far distance that they all stopped. Locke joined them a few moments later; telling them Ben was saying goodbye to Alex.

"I think your chopper buddies ran that way." Sawyer jeered at Miles. "If you wanna catch up.

"Yeah, I think I'll stay with you guys for--for now." Miles replied.

Sawyer handed Miles a torch. Nearby, heavy footsteps approached them; making Locke and Sawyer draw their guns. It was Ben; back to looking blank and creepy.

"Sorry about your daughter." Locke told him.

"Thank you, John." Ben replied.

"That being said, you lied to me." Locke continued. "You told me you didn't know what the smoke monster was."

"You can ask Jacob all about it when we go to the cabin." Ben assured him.

Sawyer inquired as to who Jacob was and Ben smirked a creepy _'He's the man that's gonna tell us what to do_ next' in response. Andie shook her head and turned to Claire; who was rocking Aaron in her arms and looking very scared. No doubt still shaken by the explosion. Andie reached out for the baby, offering her help, but Claire just smiled and shook her head.

"You know what? I'm done with all this." Sawyer said to Locke. "I never should have followed you wackos in the first place. I'm goin' back to the beach, and Andie, Claire and the kid are comin' with me." He turned to the women. "You ladies good with that?"

Claire nodded and cradled her crying son even tighter. "Yeah; I'm good with that."

Andie nodded in agreement as well before Miles spoke up, citing that he'd be coming with them. Sawyer seemed to be alright with this and signalled to Hurley that it was time to go. Locke, on the other hand, didn't seem to think this was a good idea. He took out his gun and aimed it at Sawyer.

"John; what are you doing?" Andie asked him exasperatedly.

"Have you lost your mind?" Sawyer asked tiredly as he turned around.

"Hugo stays with us." Locke told him simply.

Sawyer whipped his own gun out of the back of his jeans and pointed it at Locke. Neither of them shot, though; a standoff apparently all they were prepared for. "Not a chance." Sawyer growled.

"Sawyer." Andie stepped towards him; not wanting him to do anything stupid. Not that killing Locke would be completely stupid but it would pretty much seal Sawyer's fate; and _that_ was something Andie didn't want to happen.

Hurley appeared very confused; not understanding why he was put in the middle of things. "Leave me out of this." He told them. Locke apologized but told him they needed him to find the cabin.

"He ain't goin' anywhere with you, you crazy son of a bitch." Sawyer spat angrily at Locke.

"Stop!" Put the guns down. I'll go with Locke." Hurley said bravely. He then told both men to put their weapons down; assuring Sawyer that he'd be ok. "You guys go back to the beach. I'll catch up sooner or later."

Sawyer lowered his gun but stepped towards Locke. "You harm so much as one hair on his curly head... I'll kill you." He growled.

"Fair enough." Locke nodded.

Sawyer turned back to Andie, Claire and Miles. "Let's go." He directed them away. "Go. Move." Andie stumbled slightly in the dark and blindly grabbed Sawyer's arm. She clung to him for the rest of the night.


	13. Chapter 13: Nice & Easy

_Heya! I wasn't without net access as long as I thought I'd be ;] New update or two for you guys ;] hope you like! xoxox_

**Chapter Thirteen: Nice & Easy**

They walked until early morning before they took a break, Sawyer was uneasy about sleeping when it was too dark; he didn't trust his ability to see someone approaching them. They began to move again just before midday but Andie hadn't slept much. She'd stayed up with Aaron so Claire could get a better rest. They started trekking again in a single file. Miles and Andie in front, Claire holding Aaron behind them and Sawyer bringing up the rear; making sure they weren't being followed. They were maneuvering through some high grass when Claire stumbled.

"You ok?" Sawyer asked; holding her elbow.

"Yeah, just a bit woozy." Claire answered; patting Aaron on his back.

Andie fell back into step with Claire. "How's your head?"

"It's better. Bit of a headache, but at least I'm not seeing things anymore." She chuckled.

"Yeah? What'd you see?" Miles asked.

"Back off, Donger." Sawyer snapped at him, passing the women and getting them moving again.

"I'm just making conversation." Miles answered. He and Sawyer took up the lead.

"Let's make some time. I wanna cover more ground before we gotta camp tonight." Sawyer called back to them. "If we hoof it, we can make it to the beach by noon tomorrow." He waited for Claire and Andie then the three of them pressed on. Miles, however, stayed behind, staring intently at the ground, his head twitching; as though hearing something.

Sawyer noticed he'd fallen behind. "What?" he asked. Miles didn't answer. "Hey. Hey!" He yelled.

"Whose Danielle and Karl?" He asked them.

"Y--you mean Rousseau? The French woman?" Claire asked.

"What about them?" Andie asked.

Miles dropped to his knees and started moving around the leaf litter and dirt; revealing Rousseau's face; her body having been buried in a shallow grave.

Claire gasped. "Oh my god!" She turned away; covering her baby's eyes.

Andie stared at Danielle's face; so much wisdom and pain was evident to her. She thought back to Alex...mother and daughter reunited and then murdered. _What kind of a sick place is this?_ She asked herself. Her hand instinctively touched her abdomen; comforting her unborn baby. Andie had never wanted to leave the island more than at that moment.

"I take it this is your French woman." Miles muttered. Then he moved over slightly and started uncovering something else. He cleaned the dirt off of the face of another body. Karl's body.

"Karl..." Sawyer mumbled sadly. He knew they'd been killed; that's what Alex had said to her father via the sat phone, but actually seeing it made it much more real. He grabbed Miles by the collar. "How'd you know they were down there?" He snapped. "Your buddies do this?"

"They're not my buddies, man." Miles tried to explain. "I didn't sign up for this."

"Sawyer, can we just get out of here, please?" Andie piped up; scared tears in her eyes and her hand still on her stomach. "Can we just go?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course." Sawyer said letting go of Miles and coming towards her. "Don't worry. Once we get back to the beach, everything's gonna be fine." He promised. "All right?" Andie nodded. He gently stroked the side of her face. "Come on. Let's go." He ushered Claire and Andie in front of him, Aaron whimpering slightly, and led them away; Miles close behind.

**xxx**

In the early afternoon; they took a break by a creek. Andie and Claire sat beside the water filling up water bottles. Andie chatted to Claire while she nursed Aaron, Miles and Sawyer gave them some privacy and were resting above the ridge by the creek.

"Claire; can I ask you something?" Andie asked when she was sure the men were out of earshot.

"Sure." Claire replied.

"Did you see Charlie?" Andie asked carefully.

Claire paused a little before continuing. "I was just seeing things." She muttered.

"So you did see him?" Andie pressed.

Claire sighed and nodded. "Yeah. When that house blew up and I fell on the ground...I coulda sworn he was there; kneeling over me...smiling..." she shook her head. "I was just seeing things." She said again.

Miles was watching both women carefully; more than he should have. Sawyer came up and glared at him. "Don't even think about it."

"What?" Miles asked innocently.

"Don't look at them. Don't talk to them. Don't mess with them." Sawyer told him firmly; his rifle secure in his hands.

"I'm not going anywhere near your girl, man. I don't go for pregnant chicks." Miles told him. "Although her accents kinda hot-"

Sawyer grabbed him by the collar and pulled him right in front of his nose. "One more word and my boot's goin' up your ass." He growled. "Keep away from her--from both of 'em. You got a restraining order. 20 feet." Miles scoffed so Sawyer gripped him tighter.

"Who are you; their leader?" Miles asked.

"No. I'm the guy who's gonna put a boot in your face unless you say, "Yeah. I getcha."" Sawyer snapped.

"Yeah. I getcha." Miles answered.

Sawyer let him go and looked down at Andie and Claire; laughing together. He wondered momentarily if all his promises; they they'd all be ok, might actually come true. He wanted to make sure Claire, Andie and Aaron were safe. He didn't really much care about himself; he cared about his girl and his baby.

**xxx**

The group continued on into the afternoon, Claire getting more tired with every step. She stumbled again in a shallow pothole. Miles helped her steady herself. "Whoa! Hey, you want a hand with the baby?"

"Oh, no, thanks. I'm fine." She dismissed him. "As if I'd give you my baby." She added as she caught up with Andie.

"You sure? I'm good with kids." Miles said. Sawyer turned back from where he was up ahead with Andie and stood threateningly before him.

"What part of "restraining order" don't you understand?" he growled; making sure Miles could see how he was holding his rifle.

Up ahead, Andie was waiting with Claire when they both heard rustling in the bushes ahead of them. Miles and Sawyer caught up; also hearing the noise. He grabbed Andie and pushed her and Claire behind him. "Stay behind me." He whispered.

Heavy footsteps approached them; shaking the trees from top to bottom. Sawyer pointed his gun in the direction of the sound. Frank Lapidus emerges from the foliage carrying an aviation first aid kit and a beeping satellite phone.

"Whoa! Hey!" He held up his hands when he saw Sawyer's gun aimed at him.

"Who the hell are you?" Sawyer asked; keeping his gun at the ready.

"Lapidus?" Miles looked puzzled.

"Miles?" Frank answered with the same strange expression.

"You two know each other?" Sawyer deduced.

"You gotta hide, man, right now." Frank said urgently as he stepped towards them. "Keamy's coming back, and if he sees you, he'll kill all of ya." The sat phone in his hands started beeping more urgently. "And he's close, man. You gotta hide now! Go! Hide!"

Sawyer grabbed Andie and Claire by the upper arm. "Come on." He whispered as he led them behind some dense shrubbery. "Come on. Come on. Let's go!"

Miles followed and the four of them crouched down in the thicket. Claire was shivering with terror behind Sawyer so Andie grabbed her hand; pulling her and Aaron closer to herself. Sawyer kept his rifle at the ready as they all peered through the undergrowth. As the sat phone bleeped; Keamy and five other military men stepped out of the jungle. One of them was badly wounded and braced on the shoulders of two of his comrades.

"Where's the chopper?" Keamy asked Frank expectedly.

"It's about a click back that way." Frank pointed in the opposite direction to where Sawyer and the others were hiding. Keamy asked him if he brought the kit; Frank reminded him he had and commented that the wounded man was looking in terrible shape. He asked how it happened and was silenced by Keamy; telling just to do his job. He snatched the first aid kit from Frank's hands and tossed it to one of his mercenaries.

Andie was trying to breathe softly; annoyed at every small sound her body made. He calves were burning from crouching but she didn't dare move. From Claire's arms; Aaron cried out softly. Claire immediately tried to hold him closer to his chest; to keep him quiet. Unfortunately; Keamy had heard the noise. He started looking around; gun at the ready; searching for the source of the noise.

Frank nervously watched him look around. "Okay. It's gettin' dark, man. We gotta leave now." He told him; trying to make his voice louder than normal without rousing suspicion; just in case the baby cried out again.

Sawyer readied his gun on Keamy in case he discovered them as both Andie and Claire tried to keep Aaron quiet.

"Mr. Keamy, we gotta get back to the chopper." Frank continued. "Keamy, we gotta get back, 'cause I'll tell ya right now, I am not flying Faraday's bearings at night. I'm not gonna do it. So if you wanna get back, we gotta leave right now, sir."

Keamy finally gave up his search. "Fine. You lead the way." Frank gratefully led all the men away as fast as he could.

Sawyer, Andie, Claire and Miles all seemed to breathe a sigh of relief in unison. They moved out of there was fast as they could; wanting to be as far away from Keamy and his men as possible. Claire finally let Andie carry the baby when they slowed back to a walk. When the sun set, Sawyer thought they should set up camp since Keamy's men were going in the other direction. Miles started up a fire and fell asleep almost straight away. Claire lay on the ground with Aaron on her chest so he wouldn't be in the dirt while Andie sat with Sawyer by the fire. He didn't want to go to sleep yet; he was too on edge from their run in with Keamy earlier. Andie tried to engage him in conversation but he limited his answers to one word or less. She knew he was probably thinking about Karl and didn't want to upset him so she curled up near Claire.

Andie awoke in the middle of the night by movement beside her. It took a second for her to realize it was Sawyer; finally going to bed. She heard him sigh heavily as he lay back on the ground. Without speaking, Andie lifted her head and pulled his arm underneath her; using it almost like a pillow. He gripped her shoulder in response.

**xxx**

When Andie awoke the next morning; Sawyer's arm was still holding her shoulder but he'd moved closer to her in the night and was now almost spooning her. His right hand underneath her shirt; touching her middle. Andie rolled over so she was nestled just underneath the crook of his arm; her favourite place to be. As she turned she saw Miles was awake, stoking the fire. She looked over to Claire—she wasn't there.

"Where's Claire?" Andie asked as she sat up. "Bathroom?"

"Nope. She just walked off into the jungle." Miles said all too easily.

"What? When?" Andie asked worriedly; fear rising in her heart.

"In the middle of the night. Just got up and left." Miles told her.

"Sawyer; get up." Andie shook his chest a little. "Claire's gone."

"Wha...?" He asked; sleepily opening his eyes.

"Claire's gone!" Andie yelled; getting to her feet and skirting around their camp. "Claire?!" she called as loud as she could. "CLAIRE!"

"You let her go out there alone?!" Sawyer accused Miles as he jumped up off the ground.

"She wasn't alone." Miles corrected him.

"Well, who was she with?" Sawyer asked as Andie kept calling for Claire.

"She called him "Dad"." Miles said. "I'd have followed them, but I have a restraining order." He chuckled. Sawyer grabbed his gun but just as he was about to thwack Miles in the head with it; Andie stopped him.

"Sawyer; listen!" Andie called to him. Sawyer stopped and listened. Then he heard Aaron started crying in the distance. "Aaron!" Andie called out; hurrying into the jungle after his noise.

"Claire!" Sawyer yelled as he followed Andie. "Claire!"

As Andie neared Aaron's cries; she grew more and more terrified. In her mind she saw herself finding Claire's dead, bloodied body in the dirt with her son screaming beside her. Pushing that thought out of her mind; she kept moving. "Claire?!" Sawyer caught up to her; gun at the ready.

"There. There!" He pointed up ahead of them where Aaron was screaming from a bed of large leaves underneath a tree. Sawyer kept on the lookout for someone perhaps waiting in the shrubs; maybe using Aaron to get to Andie, as she hurried towards the screaming infant.

"It's ok, baby." Andie scooped him up in her arms. "It's alright; I got you. It's ok." She turned to Sawyer; sharing a look that said one thing. '_Why the hell would Claire leave Aaron behind?'_

"Claire!" Sawyer called for her. "Claire!"

Aaron started screaming in Andie's arms. Tears fell from her eyes; she was terrified that something had happened to Claire – there was no way she'd just leave her son alone in the jungle.

"CLAIRE!" Sawyer screamed.

**xxx**

_When are they going to let me be?_ Andie thought to herself as she came into her house. She's just returned from another session with the shrink Oceanic had set her up with. She, Sayid, Kate, Sun, Hurley and Jack had been asked to complete three months of therapy in their own home towns. Andie resented it since she wasn't allowed to talk about what actually happened; only about what she'd been told to say.

"Andie? Is that you?" Nick's voice called from the kitchen.

"Yeah." Andie replied; shrugging off her coat and hanging it up. The house was cleaner than it had been when she left; Nick did that a lot – he said he didn't want her to work too much; to put too much strain on the baby. She was well into her second trimester now; accustomed to kicks and rolls from her baby quite frequently.

"How'd it go?" Nick came into the room drying his hands on a tea towel.

"Same old. As if I need a shrink to tell me how to deal with what happened." Andie sighed as she walked towards him and laid her tired head on his shoulders. It was getting easier for her to be comfortable with Nick; the way they had been before the crash. It was certainly strange living with Nick again; right now he was more like her roommate…but he was so happy to have her home and _such_ a good father; she didn't want to ruin that.

Nick chuckled and wrapped his arms around her back. "Go take a nap; get some rest." He held a hand to her growing belly. "Both of you."

As Nick touched her belly; the baby kicked Andie sharply making her feel guiltier; as if reminding her of whom her _real_ father was. "Yeah; I might." Andie agreed, lifting her head off his shoulder and kissing him on the cheek. "Is he asleep?"

"I put him down about twenty minutes ago." Nick answered. "But I think he's waiting for you."

Andie patted his arm and smiled. She walked carefully out into the back room Nick had transformed into a nursery and saw the baby boy, of about six months now, fussing on his back in the crib. "Hey; little man, it's ok." She cooed as she lifted him out of the crib and held him over her heart. "It's ok." He continued to whimper so Andie went to the CD player she'd set up in the nursery and clicked on a song that always seemed to calm him down; especially when she sang along.

Andie swayed with her baby as the song began with the sound of soft waves crashing onto shore; reminding her all too well of what she'd left behind on that island. "_Close your eyes...have no fear_." Andie sang softly. "_The monsters gone...he's on the run and your mama's here. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy_." Andie kissed her baby on his head; he was calming, his breaths becoming deeper. "_Before you go to sleep...say a little prayer. Every day in every way...it's getting better and better. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy_." The baby boy drifted off to sleep in her comforting arms. "_Out on the ocean...sailing away...I can hardly wait...to see you to come of age. But I guess we'll both just have to be patient. Cause it's a long way to go...a hard road oh-oh. Yes it's a long way to go...but in the meantime_..." Andie walked ever so slowly towards the crib. "_Before you cross the street ... take my hand. Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans_." He was fast asleep as Andie lowered him into his bed. "_Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy. Darling, darling, darling...darling boy_." She patted his chest; covering his small body with a light blanket.

"Goodnight Aaron." She whispered with a smile.


	14. Chapter 14: The End Begins It All

**Chapter Fourteen: The End Begins It All**

For the first time in three months; Andie's clothes were brand new and completely clean. Her hair was shining with not a trace of dirt or stray leaf. She loud rumbling over the plane's engine beneath her seemed to calm a content Aaron in her arms as he gently sucked her finger. Beside her sat Sayid in a suit; she'd never seen him in a suit. On her other side was Sun looking as dazed as Andie felt. Before her, watching her with sympathetic eyes, was Kate sitting in between Jack and Hurley.

No one spoke; there wasn't really anything to say. Andie's eyes stung from all the tears she'd cried. Tears of happiness; she was finally going home. But mostly they were tears of anguish for who she'd left behind. Sawyer's eyes were burned into her own; his final words to her before they left were playing over and over again in her head. She was terrified they were the last words she'd ever say to him.

Aaron shifted in her arms making Andie think of Claire. A girl Andie had barely known for a few weeks had become one of the best friends she'd ever had. And now Andie was expected to raise her son as her own and forget about her. Forgetting was something Andie would never be able to do. She would never forget what happened on that island; those events had changed her life. She'd fallen more in love with someone than she thought possible, she'd conceived a child; a dream she'd given up on. Not only that but now she was an instant mother to Aaron. She didn't know what she would say to Nick.

One of the first things she'd been told when the seven of them had been picked up was that Nick was waiting for her. And he'd been told she'd had their son on the island. Andie had been in such a shock that she couldn't really comprehend the idea but right now in the plane on her way home; it became clear. She had to lie to Nick. Everything that happened and didn't happen between them from this moment on would be based on this lie; this belief that Aaron was his own son conceived with Andie pre-crash. She had loved Nick very much and still did; she didn't want to hurt him. On the other hand; he wanted a child as much as she did and Andie was one hundred percent sure he'd be a perfect father. And since Andie had another child on the way; how could she do it alone? She couldn't. She would live that lie; let Nick believe he had a family that wasn't his, because the consequences of coming clean were dire for everyone sitting around her.

**xxx**

Sawyer shouted for Claire until his voice went hoarse. Andie jiggled Aaron in her arms; trying to keep him calm. She knew he could sense something was going on; he was whimpering and stirring; not seeming to want to stay still.

"Sawyer." Andie said to him; trying to grab his attention. He was frantically looking around for anything that could help them find Claire. He turned to her. "What are we going to do?"

"Find her." Sawyer said. "We'll find her; I promise." He walked towards her. "She can't have gone far."

"Why would she leave Aaron?" Andie asked worriedly. "I mean; she wouldn't. She'd never just _leave_ him in the jungle. I mean, maybe she…no, she wouldn't leave him!"

"Andie; it's gonna be ok." Sawyer held her by the shoulder. "Miles said she went off with some guy; said she called him 'Dad'."

Andie looked puzzled. She and Claire had talked many times about their pasts and Claire had only mentioned her father once or twice; but for good reason – she didn't know him very well. "But…but Claire doesn't know her father…" Andie said in a harried voice. "She doesn't even know his name; she's only met him once—why would she…"

"Calm down." Sawyer told her, cupping her cheek in his palm. "It'll be ok."

"What's happening?" Miles asked as he came towards them.

Sawyer aimed his gun at him. "Where'd she go?"

"I told you; I didn't follow her." Miles folded his arms.

"She would _never_ abandon this baby." Andie spat at him.

"Well, her Daddy probably convinced her to go; what do I know?" Miles held out his hands. "Shouldn't we get moving? Keamy and his men might come back through here."

"We ain't going nowhere until we find Claire." Sawyer growled at him, jabbing his gun towards the horizon. "You first, Ping."

Miles rolled his eyes but walked forwards slightly ahead of Sawyer and Andie so they could keep an eye on him. The motion seemed to calm Aaron down; he closed his eyes and was soon asleep in Andie's arms. She walked slowly beside Sawyer; speaking in hushed whispers.

"This makes no sense." She kept repeating.

"Nothing on this island's ever made sense, Angel." Sawyer answered her. "Forget our little foray in those cages?"

Andie most certainly did _not_ forget that. "But why _Claire?_ Why separate her from the baby?"

Sawyer didn't have an answer for her. He watched her carefully as she cradled Claire's young son in her arms protectively. She had such an instinct for this, he thought._ Kid's not even hers and she loves him like that…_. He thought about his own child, safe within Andie's womb and wondered if he'd be able to find that instinct when it arrived.

They walked for another hour before they stopped to rest. Sawyer mentioned that they could cover more ground if they walked north; higher on the island.

"James." Andie said quietly as she bit her lip.

"What?" He asked.

She nodded down to Aaron. "He's going to be hungry soon." Tears of worry formed in Andie's eyes. "We can't…I can't…he needs his mother. And if we can't find her soon..." She didn't want to say what she said next. "We have to go back to the beach without Claire."

Sawyer opened his mouth to protest but his eyes fell on Aaron who started stirring in Andie's arms. She was right. He needed to get back to the beach. If rescue was coming the kid needed to be there rather that stumbling round the jungle. He nodded slowly to Andie and rubbed her arm. "Ok." He said in a low voice. He helped her to her feet and the pair of them walked together towards the beach; Miles trailing behind.

**xxx**

Andie shuffled Aaron in her lap as she plane engine grumbled, seemingly all around her. She didn't realize she was staring until Sayid nudged her.

"Do you want me to hold him awhile?" he asked.

Andie snapped out of her staring contest with the floor and looked at her friend. She shook her head; she didn't want anyone else holding this baby.

"It's gonna be ok, Andie." Jack said to her from across the plane. "It really is; I promise." He directed his last statement to everybody.

A moment later they were joined by a woman they knew as Ms. Decker, one of the first people they'd met when they'd left. She was a pretty woman in her late thirties wearing a smart suit with her dark, straight hair flowing down her back. "We're coming in for landing." She told them, grabbing onto the side of the cargo plane to keep her balance. "It's a military facility just west of Honolulu. It's completely private." She continued. "Your families are already here. Now there's a lot of press that wanna speak to you, but as far as Oceanic is concerned, you don't have to speak to any reporters."

"We'll talk to 'em." Jack answered.

"Is that all right with all of you?" Ms. Decker asked the rest of them.

"It's fine." Jack assured her. "We all agreed. We just--we just wanna get it over with."

"Okay. Um, they're referring to you as the "Oceanic Seven"." She said with a smirk. She eyed Andie. "They consider your son a survivor of the crash as well." She smiled. "It's not the best branding as far as we're concerned but it's catchy." She shrugged. "We'll see you on the ground." She smile at them and then left them alone.

"We all know the story." Jack said to his friends. "If we get any questions that we don't wanna answer, or that we can't answer, let's just keep our mouths shut." He paused. "It's okay. They'll--they'll think that we're in shock."

"We are in shock, Jack." Sun told him in a vacant voice.

Jack sighed. "Well...then this should be easy."

Andie felt a twinge in her stomach as the plane started to descend. She tried to take a few steady breathes but instead they were ragged. The anxiety of what was about to happen started to dawn on Andie. She hadn't seen Nick in three months and now she was showing up pregnant and with a baby. The only people who knew Andie was pregnant with Sawyer's baby were sitting around her; they hadn't divulged it to anybody. She would tell Nick eventually. Eventually.

"Andie?" Sayid said into her ear. "It'll be alright."

"Yeah." She smiled and held her hand out to him. "Hold my hand?" Sayid took her hand and held it tightly. "Don't let go." She added shakily. Sayid kissed her temple lightly as the plane dipped even lower and then thumped heavily to the ground.

They coasted to a slow stop and the _Oceanic 7_ unbuckled their seatbelts and waited as the heavy cargo door opened. A procession of army soldiers formed a line around the ramp as it lowered. Sayid clung to Andie's hand as firmly as she did his as the bright sunlight glowed ahead of them. Andie walked behind Kate and Jack who were the first to come out of the plane. Andie was thinking about how weird it was to see ground that wasn't covered in sand or surrounded by trees when she saw Nick. He was staring at her with a group of people who looked absolutely shocked to see them.

Nick caught Andie's eyes and didn't let her out of them and when she saw him; her heart leapt wildly in her chest. She cradled a fussing Aaron closer to her chest as tears fell from her eyes. No matter what had happened; she was thrilled to see him. She handed Aaron to Sayid and found herself running at Nick. He met her halfway and lifted her right off her feet. Andie sobbed into his neck and squeezed him as tightly as she could.

Nick pulled away from her, tears in his own eyes. He kept smoothing her hair off her face; not believing she was finally in his arms again. "It's you. You're here. You're really here." He kept saying.

"Yeah." Andie smiled and wrapped her arms around him again. "It's me; I'm here." She laughed.

"I knew it; I knew you'd come home." He kissed her all over her face. "I love you so much."

"God; I missed you." Andie whispered to him; inhaling the scent she'd forgotten. But as genuinely thrilled as she was to see him; something wasn't right. He wasn't the one she wanted. He wasn't Sawyer. Nick turned to see Sayid coming towards him. He smiled at the stranger as Andie turned around and saw her friend and Aaron nearing them. "Oh." Andie said as she wiped her eyes. "Nick; this is Sayid." She said, taking the baby from her friend. "He's my hero." She smiled.

Sayid offered his hand to Nick but was met with a bear hug from his new friend. "Thanks for taking care of her." Nick said to him with a masculine pat on the back.

"No need to thank me." Sayid said. Hurley called his name and motioned for him to come over and meet his own family so Sayid excused himself, patting Andie's arm as he left.

Andie was left standing with Aaron in front of Nick. Nick's eyes welled as he saw the baby. "This is Aaron." Andie said handing him over.

Nick's mouth was agape as he held the infant protectively in his arms. The tiny baby gripped his whole fist around Nick's thumb and started sucking on it. Nick looked up at Andie. "This is our baby." He said with a tearful smile. "Our baby." He wrapped one arm around Andie's neck and pulled her into another firm hug.

"Yeah." Andie said into his shoulder as a twinge formed in her abdomen. "Our baby."

**xxx**


	15. Chapter 15: The Truth As We See It

**Chapter Fifteen: The Truth As We See It**

Andie never realized how heavy Aaron must have been for Claire to carry until she'd carried him for half a day. The poor baby was obviously confused as to what was going on; he kept whimpering and didn't sleep very well. Andie realized she'd never asked Claire if there was a special way to put Aaron to sleep; maybe she sang to him, maybe he liked being rocked, maybe he didn't like being touched at all – Andie felt useless.

"You doin' alrigh', Angel?" Sawyer asked, falling back into step with her.

Andie hadn't realized she'd fallen behind. "Yeah; he's just heavy." Andie shifted Aaron over her other shoulder.

"Let me carry him." Sawyer offered.

Andie gave him a look. At that moment her arms ached so much she was thrilled for the opportunity of relief. "Sure; go for it." Andie handed Aaron to him and felt lightness in her arms she hadn't felt in almost a day. Aaron started to whimper again but stopped himself soon after settling in Sawyer's arms. The three of them continued on; Miles a few feet ahead until they heard his voice say:

"Hey, long time no see."

Sawyer and Andie stopped in their tracks but all of a sudden, Aaron started squealing. "Come on." Sawyer muttered to Andie as they headed after Mile's trail. "Hey, who are you talkin' to up there, Genghis?"

Sawyer stopped so suddenly Andie almost walked into his back. Then she noticed two of her friends staring at them with confused faces; Kate and Jack had guns on Miles. There was a strange silence between them all as they realized they were together again. Kate and Jack lowered their guns; very aware they had Aaron without his mother.

"Where's Claire?" Jack asked.

"We lost her." Sawyer said sadly as Aaron squirmed in his arms.

"You what??" Jack yelled. Kate looked in disbelief at the crying infant.

"She just walked off in the middle of the night. We looked for her for a day, but she was just gone." Sawyer explained. "I was hopin' maybe she went back to the beach."

"She didn't." Jack muttered with a shake of the head.

"Jack; you're bleeding." Andie said; noticing the wet stain on the right side of his abdomen.

"It's fine." He replied; trying to move so she couldn't see it.

"What are y'all doin' out here?" Sawyer asked them. "What's that phone for?" he nodded at the satellite phone in Jack's hands.

"The chopper flew over the beach." Jack told them. "Someone tossed this out. It must've been Sayid."

"Well, you better hope it ain't Sayid, 'cause if he's with those animals that just blew up half of New Otherton, you do not wanna tussle with 'em." Sawyer said back; remembering all too clearly how he'd dug Claire out of the debris of her house.

"What, they tried to kill you?" Kate asked.

"Yeah; just like Locke said they would." Andie told him. "Claire was lucky to get out; her house was destroyed and they killed at least six of us." She paused. "Alex, Karl and Rousseau…they're all dead."

"Oh god." Kate looked back at Jack who turned away from them.

"We have to get the hell of this island." Andie continued. "We watched Alex be executed in front of Ben; they'll kill all of us if they find us."

"I'm with her." Miles spoke up. "They don't believe in mercy."

"So... what?" Jack turned back with angry tears in his eyes. "We're supposed to just... turn around and hide? 'Cause it seems like that didn't work so well for you."

"I'm sorry, Doc, maybe this is déja vu, but didn't you just do the whole "run through the jungle with a walkie" plan?" Sawyer snapped back as Aaron cried loudly.

"That helicopter is our only way off this island!" Jack yelled. "That's why we're out here!"

"What's with you and "_gettin'_ _off the island_"?" Sawyer snapped to Jack. "You're like a damn broken record."

"Stop it! Are you two fightin' each other now?" Kate shouted.

They all stopped; apart from Aaron who screamed at the top of his tiny lungs. Sawyer handed him back over to Andie.

"We've gotta think straight here." Andie spoke up. "We fight each other and we give 'em what they want; an easy target." She patted Aaron's back lightly.

"Look. I put Sayid and Desmond on that chopper." Jack told her. "It was my call. It's my responsibility. I'm going after it whether they're on it or not. You can all head back to the beach." With that he walked passed all of them and headed into the jungle.

"Jack... no, no, no. You can't go by yourself." Kate said as she trailed after him.

"Help Andie with the baby, okay?" He told her as he kept walking.

"That son of a bitch is stubborn." Sawyer muttered as he loaded his gun. "Hold up! You don't get to die alone." He started after Jack.

"James; wait." Andie hurried after him. "No; you have to…we have to stay together."

"I'll be back; I promise." He said sincerely coming back and kissing her firmly. "Keep that kid safe, alright?" with that he turned around and ran after Jack.

Kate came up behind Andie and touched her elbow. "Hey; let's go." She said as she pulled her back towards the direction they were heading.

Andie cradled Aaron tightly in her arms; glanced once back at Sawyer's diminishing figure in the jungle, and followed after Kate. Right now she had to worry about Aaron; she was forced to put Sawyer second – something she never thought she'd have to do.

**xxx**

Nick clung to Andie's hand almost in fear that if he let her go; he'd lose her again. But he wasn't allowed to hold her for too long. They walked into a huge, empty aircraft hanger where hundreds of the world's reporters were set up awaiting the press conference. The Oceanic 7's families were lead into the front row ahead of all the press while the survivors were taken onto stage. There was a loud applause as Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, Sun and Andie carrying Aaron all walked up to and sat in chairs at a long table with their names on place cards in front of them. Each of them had a microphone under their nose and Ms. Decker stood to their left in front of a podium with a slide projector set up beside her. When everyone had settled; she began her speech.

"Based on the location of the wreckage, our best estimate of the crash site is...here." She clicked the remote for the slide machine and a map appeared on the screen behind her. "From there, the survivors were carried by the ocean's current to…" She clicked the remote again and another picture came up. "Here--an uninhabited island in the Lesser Sunda Islands known as Membata. As you've all read in your briefing books, on day 103... a typhoon washed up the remnants of an Indonesian fishing boat, including basic supplies and a survival raft. On day 108, the remaining six survivors, including Ms. Parker's baby which she gave birth to on the island of Membata, used this raft to journey here." She clicked the remote again and a picture of the survivors looking disheveled as they washed up on a beach. "An island called Sumba. They then came ashore near a village called Manukangga. This photo was taken by the local fisherman who found them. Once it was discovered who they were, they were transported to Honolulu by the U.S. Coast Guard. As you can imagine, this has been an extraordinarily trying experience. They have, however, agreed to answer a few questions. So, ladies and gentlemen, the survivors of Oceanic 8-1-5."

All of the reporters started shouting at once; jumping to their feet and waving their hands. Cameras flashed in Andie's eyes; making her extremely uncomfortable. She made sure Aaron's face was shielded; he didn't need to be subjected to that.

Ms. Decker pointed out a male reporter who directed his questions at Jack. "Dr. Shephard! Dr. Shephard! Can you tell us what it was like when the plane hit the ocean? How you survived?"

"Um… it--it all happened really fast." Jack answered as he leaned up to the microphone. Cameras continued to flash at them as he spoke. "I remember the impact. I remember the--the plane filling up with water. A group of us got to the emergency door, and, um... got out before it went down."

"And those of you who survived--you _swam_ to the island?" The reporter asked.

"No." Jack shook his head. "We had, uh, cushions. We had some life jackets. We were in the water for over a day before the current took us in. By then, there was only eight of us left."

The male reporter sat down and a female reporter on the other side of the room was chosen next. She made the statement that they all looked healthy for people who'd been lost for one hundred days to which Hurley lightened the mood with the witty remark, asking if the question was meant for him. She continued with her question; asking Hurley what he would do with the near 150 million dollars he was worth now that he had it back. Hurley told her he didn't want it; that it was bad luck.

A female Korean reporter got up next and directed a question in Korean to Sun. No one seemed to understand what she was saying; a few of the other reporters asking if someone could translate.

"She asked if my husband was one of the people who died on the island." Sun spoke up suddenly. "The answer is no. He never made it off the plane."

Andie glanced over at her friend; seeing the pain on her face even though she remained expressionless.

"Ms. Parker!" People started yelling. Andie looked towards the man who'd asked her the question; an Australian reporter. "What was it like giving birth on the island?" he asked.

" Scary." Andie answered simply; glancing at Nick's smiling face looking up at her from the front row.

"Your son--uh, Aaron? How old is he now?" The reporter asked.

"He's just a little over 5 weeks." Andie answered, jiggling the baby in her arms.

"So that would've made you about six months pregnant when you left Sydney?" The reporter surmised. "Your partner claims he didn't know you were pregnant when you left."

"I hid it well." Andie said with a smirk. A smattering of light laughter murmured through the hanger.

Andie was thankful when another reporter directed a question at Kate. Andie breathed a sigh of relief; hoping maybe they'd stop asking her about Aaron. Every word she spoke about her 'son' was a lie. She kissed Aaron on the top of his head and realized the reporter must've asked Kate something about her arrest.

"Uh, I'm afraid Ms. Austen's legal issue is off the table. Next question." Ms Decker said swiftly.

Another female reporter stood up and directed her question at Sayid. "Mr. Jarrah, given the amazing circumstances surrounding the survival of you seven, is it possible there are any other survivors from the crash yet to be discovered?"

Sayid could see out of the corner of his eye that Sun and Andie were looking at him. "No." he answered with a tone of finality in his voice. "Absolutely not."

The question and answer session when on for approximately another hour; people wanting to know what they ate; how they stayed sane; how Andie had given birth without medical attention and even about the bond that they now had formed. Andie was relieved when Ms. Decker thanked the press for their time and started ushering the Oceanic 7 off the stage. They all convened behind the stage and waited for their families again.

Jack pulled Kate aside, chatting and smiling with her about what had just happened. Andie watched them closely. For some reason; she couldn't really see them leaving each other. The thought made her smile. Sayid came up behind her and held a hand to the small of her back.

"You did well, Andie." He told her honestly.

"Then why do I feel like crap?" Andie asked.

"Mr. Jarrah?" Ms. Decker interrupted them. "There's a woman outside. She says she knows you, but she wasn't on the list of family members. Her name is a Noor Abed Jaseem."

Andie saw the look of shock on his face as he excused himself and went with Ms. Decker. Nick appeared with Hurley's parents close behind him and came over to Andie. "Hey, honey." He said to her; smile still wide on his face. "They said we can go home."

"Home?" Andie repeated. Home for her before the crash was in Australia. In Sydney.

"When you went missing…" Nick started, rubbing the back of Aaron's head. "I did everything to find you. I came over here to the states to talk to the LA Oceanic folk...and then they found you…and said you'd had a baby." He smiled. "My folks got us a house, helped me move everything over."

Andie smiled in disbelief. Nick's family was very wealthy; his father was a business tycoon so it was certainly in their capacity. But she was still in such a shocked state. "That's great." Then the realization hit her; she had to say goodbye to her friends. She'd spent every day for the last three months with them. It soon became clear to all of them they had to separate for the first time.

Sayid came back into the room with a stunningly beautiful woman at his side. Andie recognized her immediately as the woman from Sayid's photos; Nadia. He had the biggest smile on his face as he introduced her to everyone. Jack's mother and Sun's parents arrived, also signaling that it was time for them to part ways.

"So guys…" Hurley spoke up. "My birthdays in a couple of week and you're all totally invited."

"Hurley." Kate chuckled and shook her head before wrapping her arms around him.

Sun said her goodbyes almost sullenly; still in shock over leaving Jin. Andie related to her pain; her ache for Sawyer only strengthened when she saw Jack grab Kate's hand. Andie handed Aaron to Hurley to say goodbye as Andie turned to Sayid; tears immediately falling down her face.

"Don't cry." He told her with a smile. "It is meant to be a happy day." He pulled her into a hug.

Andie smiled into his shoulder and gripped him tightly. "I hate goodbyes." She muttered. She pulled away and grinned widely. "I am so glad that she found you." Andie told him honestly. And she was. In all the time she'd known Sayid; he'd never looked as happy as he did right then. Sayid smiled and the pair shared a friendly kiss on the mouth before hugging again. With a promise that they would call each other as soon as they could; the group separated. Andie held Kate's hand as they walked out of the hanger to some fancy cars that were waiting for them. Hurley handed Aaron to Nick who told him that he too was invited to his birthday. Hurley wrapped Andie in a bear hug and told her how awesome she was; making her blush. Then Jack came up to her and held her very close.

"He'll be alright, Andie." Jack whispered into her ear. "You know he will."

Andie pulled away from him and he nodded firmly. Andie smiled shakily back at him and turned to Sun who was playing with Aaron's hands as Nick held him. "Take care of him, Andie." Sun told her as she hugged her. "I know you will." With that she turned and left with her parents. Andie looked back at her friends and noticed Kate and Jack getting into the same car with Jack's mother. They left first; waving through the window as they drove past. Nick took Aaron to a car that had a baby seat in the back and Andie went to follow when she felt a tug at her elbow. Turning, she saw Nadia standing before her.

"Andie." She nodded and smiled. "Sayid speaks very highly of you." She said. "I do hope we stay in touch, yes?"

"Absolutely." Andie nodded. She smiled at her and patted her arm before turning and getting into the waiting car. A driver shut the door behind her. Andie's eyes found Sayid as he waited with Nadia for her to leave. Kissing the three middle fingers of her right hand, Andie placed them on the glass and grinned at Sayid who wrapped his arms around Nadia. He winked back at her and smiled broadly.

Andie settled back in her seat as they drove away and looked to Aaron; who appeared very confused by the contraption he was confined in. She could already see Nick bonding with their 'son', hanging onto his tiny hand as he kept his eyes on Andie. Andie couldn't seem to take her eyes of the view out of the window. Cars, shops, people walking around laughing, traffic lights, animals, pavement…it was all so bizarre to see again; to live in again. She remembered while on the Island all she wanted was to leave it. But as she looked at Nick and Aaron; all she wanted to do was go back and just have one more minute with Sawyer. Just one.

**xxx**


	16. Chapter 16: Paths With No End

**Chapter Sixteen: Paths With No End**

Kate offered to carry Aaron back to the beach as she, Andie and Miles briskly hurried back. Andie accepted; happy to give her arms another break. But it was odd how when Andie handed him over to Kate; her mind instantly switched to Claire. Images of her friend hurt and alone in the jungle without her son swirled in Andie's mind along with the nagging feeling that Sawyer and Jack were tromping after the hostile "rescuers". It didn't help that Kate kept asking questions.

"Her father's here?" Kate spoke as she jiggled Aaron over her shoulder.

"I dunno." Andie shrugged, quickly explaining to Kate the small details Claire had shared with her about her father. "Whatever way you look at it...she'd never just leave Aaron." She eyed Miles who was keeping quiet up ahead. "You saw Claire leave, right?"

"Sorta." Miles answered; picking up a stick off the ground and using it to prod his way through the jungle. "He was there though; the guy she called 'Dad. He was holding the baby."

"What?" Kate asked as she caught up to him.

"You heard me." Miles told her as he quickened his step.

Kate handed Aaron back over to Andie and ran after him. "So her father _is_ on the Island? How? Is he one of them; The Others?"

"How should I know?" Miles told her as he nodded up ahead of them. "Beach is coming up."

Andie held Aaron close to her chest as the ground beneath her quickly became more and more sandy. She did a double take as they hit the beach when she saw Sayid gathering people into a life raft. "Sayid?" She breathed; almost not believing he was there. When he looked up and saw her, Kate and Miles coming towards them she knew he was real. "Sayid!" She called louder.

He came towards them; eying Aaron in Andie's arms. "What happened?" He asked as he grasped Andie's shoulder.

"Claire's missing." Andie told him. "She just walked off in the middle of the night..."

"What are you doing here?" Kate asked him as she paused beside Andie; a worried look on her face. "Jack thought that you-"

"I know what he thought." Sayid told her. "That's why I'm going after him. How far ahead is he?"

"Maybe an hour." Kate answered.

"He's with Sawyer." Andie added. "They went after the chopper. Jack had a sat phone. I can track them."

"No, Andie, you stay with Aaron." Kate told her. "I can show him."

"No; they're retracing the track Sawyer and I made coming back here. I know what to look for." Andie told Sayid in as strong a voice as she could muster. "You'll never catch up in time if you don't take me with you."

"I'm coming too." Kate chimed in; her worry for Jack evident on her face.

"Alright." Sayid nodded at both of them. "Let's go."

"Ok." Andie scanned the crowd of people by the boat and saw Sun. "Sun!" She called as she treaded through the sand towards her. "Can you take care of Aaron for a little while? Get him on the boat." She handed the infant over to her friend and kissed his forehead. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Wait." Sun grabbed her by her wrist. "Where's Claire? What happened?"

"I'll explain later. I'll meet you on the boat." Andie reassuringly rubbed Sun's shoulder and backed away towards Kate and Sayid. "Just keep him safe!" She called; tearfully watching Aaron as she retreated into the jungle yet again.

**xxx**

Hurley's birthday party went off pretty much without a hitch, in Andie's mind. Other than the fact Hugo heard the hushed whispers of all the guests hiding on the terrace and approached them with a statue of Jesus. Other than that; everyone appeared to be having a great time at the Island themed party. Andie, one hand on her small but prominent four month old baby bump, sat at the bar twirling the straw in her tropical punch. She was soon joined by Kate wearing a colourful, Hawaiian dress with a lea around her neck.

"Hey!" Kate smiled and kissed her cheek. "So glad you made it."

"Yeah; long drive but hell; I'll travel for a party." Andie told her with a grin.

"You guys drove?" Kate asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah; funnily enough I'm kinda scared of planes." Andie chuckled.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in months." Kate said with a soft smile. "God; you're getting so big."

"Thank you for pointing out my fatness; you're a gem." Andie smirked at her.

Kate smiled. "Stop it." She told her. "Is Nick here?"

Andie nodded as she took a long drink of her punch. She pointed to the wading pool Hurley's parents had set up for the children at the party. Nick was kneeling by the pool with Aaron in his arms, dunking the little boy in and out of the water. Aaron, now just over five months old, was squealing with laughter.

"Nick's so good with him." Kate noted.

"I know." Andie smiled at her boys proudly.

"What about this one?" Kate nodded at Andie's belly. "Does Nick…?"

"Yeah." Andie confirmed. "He thinks this is his baby, too." She sighed, feeling tears appear in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Andie." Kate told her friend. "I know this has to be so hard for you."

Andie smiled, forcing her tears away. "It's ok. Let's not talk about me today, alright?" She took another sip of her drink. "Where's Jack?"

"He got caught up at the hospital." Kate said with a proud grin. "He'll try to stop by later." A wide grin appeared on her face as a cheerful Hurley came over to them. "Hey Hurley."

"Hey guys." He put an arm around both of them. "So awesome that you're here."

"Jack's running late, sorry." Kate told him.

"It's cool." Hurley waved a hand at her. "Hey!" he noticed two other guests enter. "You guys are here!" he rushed over to greet his friends.

Turning, Andie saw Sayid and Nadia - recently engaged – arriving. Sayid was smiling wider than Andie had ever seen him. It was strange to be able to see so many of his teeth at once. Sliding off her bar stool, Andie went over to say hello. Nadia, who Andie had grown to adore, wrapped her in a hug as soon as she saw her.

"Andie." She squeezed her tightly. As she pulled away she laid both her hands on Andie's tummy. "You look beautiful."

"Oh; thank you." Andie blushed and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "I don't feel it." She laughed.

"Please." Sayid chided her with a grin. "You know how gorgeous you look."

"Well, when you're right you're right." Andie grinned as she hugged him firmly. "Hi."

"Hello." He hugged her back. "Interesting choice of theme." He said to Hurley as he pulled away from Andie.

"Yeah, my mom... really doesn't get it, Dude." Hurley explained with a wry smile.

"Hey! How's everybody doing?" David, Hurley's father laughed as he came over to them. "What are you talking about? Building a fire or huntin' boars?" His joke wasn't met with laughter. "I guess not." He turned to his son and put an arm around him. "Uh, listen. Uh, do you mind, uh, excusing us for a little while? I-I wanna show you your birthday present. Hmm? Come on. Bye-bye now." The two of them left and headed for the garage.

"Are your boys here?" Nadia asked Andie as she scanned the party. She had never been perturbed or felt threatened by her fiancé's relationship with Andie. It was very clear there was no need to give it a second thought. "I'd love to see Aaron."

"Yeah; over there by the pool." Andie pointed.

Kissing Sayid's cheek, Nadia headed over to the pool; meeting up with Kate along the way. Andie noticed the wide smile seemingly permanently stuck on Sayid's face. It made her smile the same way.

"What?" Sayid asked her.

"You're just so happy." She said as she slipped her arm through his. He happily led her around the party. "It's an odd shade on you. But I'm happy for you. I mean I'm _really_ happy for you."

"I'm glad I have your approval." Sayid muttered.

"Shut up." Andie shoved him playfully. "So now that you two are engaged; where are you planning – ooh!" Andie grabbed at her middle as a sharp pain seemed to come from within her and poke the side of her abdomen.

"Andie?" Sayid stopped her and held her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Oh…" Andie breathed in and out a few times. "She kicked me." She smiled.

A smile grew on Sayid's face. "She?"

"I'm guessing." Andie shrugged. "She's been moving for a couple of weeks now. And every now and again she seems to just pummel me with one." She grabbed Sayid's hand and held it to her stomach. "Feel it?"

Sayid nodded and grinned. "She's strong."

"Don't I know it." Andie chuckled. Every time her baby kicked too hard; she thought of Sawyer. Or perhaps it was the other way around…every time she thought of Sawyer; her baby would kick...as if agreeing with her mother.

"Hey, Andie?" Nick's voice called as he came over to her, jiggling a damp Aaron in his arms. "Sayid; hey, man." He put his free arm around Sayid and patted him on the back. "Good to see ya."

"You too." Sayid smiled. "Hello; Aaron." He played with the infant's tiny hand.

"I'm gonna take this one upstairs to dry off." Nick said; patting Aaron's back.

Andie nodded sighed. _He's so comfortable with him,_ she thought to herself. _He was definitely meant to do this._ Nick kissed her cheek and headed inside with the baby.

"He's a wonderful father." Sayid noted as Nick left.

"I know he is." Andie agreed. "But I feel like such a fraud. I mean...this is the life he's always wanted…and it's not real."

"Andie." Sayid held her face in his hands. "Everything will be fine."

Tears appeared in Andie's eyes again. But now, with no guests around them, she didn't feel the need to keep them hidden. "He asked me to marry him." She almost whispered.

Sayid looked at her wide-eyed. "He did?"

"I said I had to think about it." She mumbled. "He said not to decide until I was ready but...Sayid; I don't think I can…"

Sayid stroked her cheek and pulled her into a hug; unsure of what to say – knowing that nothing he could say would make her feel better. She wanted Sawyer. And Sawyer was gone. Even if they wanted to find them Sayid didn't know how. Andie was his friend and all he wanted was for her to be happy. But she would never be truly happy in her life with Nick; Sayid knew that. His life with Nadia – that was perfect. She was perfect. She was all he'd ever wanted and now he had her. But he'd spent eight years in Andie's position; wanting to find someone and having no idea where to begin. But the fact that the Island was gone proved to be a sufficiently large hurdle to jump.

**xxx**

Andie led the way back on the path she, Sawyer and Miles had created and from there she found Jack's sloppy tracks, no doubt stumbling from his bleeding appendix, and Sawyer's heavy footsteps. Sayid kept close to Andie's side with his rifle constantly at the ready. Kate was ploughing on behind them; sincere worry for Jack still clear in her eyes.

They continued for about thirty minutes before Andie noticed something strange on the ground. "Wait." She lowered to her knees and ran her hands over the tracks in the dirt.

"What's the matter?" Sayid asked her.

"These aren't Sawyer…or Jack." She realized as she stood back up. "They're different – fresh." She looked anxiously between Kate and Sayid. "And they're doubling back behind us."

Sayid's jaw clenched as he readied his gun and directed it to the surrounding bush. "Whoever you are; come out right now!" He hollered. Both Kate and Andie mimicked his stance with their own pistols.

Footsteps came towards them from the nearby brush and they were soon joined by Richard Alpert who was dressed in native Other-wear; old, dirty pants and a ripped shirt. "Alright, alright. Let's just keep calm. Let's just relax. Relax." He had his hands up in the air; posing no apparent threat.

"Stop right there!" Kate yelled. Alpert didn't stop. "I said stop!!!"

"Let's put the guns down." Alpert told them calmly.

Sayid cocked his gun. "Take one more step-"

Suddenly, all around them the heard about ten or fifteen separate guns cocking. In a large circle around them; several Others sprouted up from behind bushes and trees. They all aimed their weapons at Sayid, Kate and Andie.

"I said drop your guns." Richard told them with a smug look on his face.

Andie looked to Sayid; whose eyes were stuck on Alpert. Only when her friend tossed his gun aside did Andie do the same. Kate chucked hers on top of Andie's and all of them put their hands in the air. The Others came out of hiding and encircled them even tighter.

"Let's go." Alpert told his comrades.

They started shepherding Kate, Sayid and Andie into the jungle. "Where are we going?" Andie asked.

Alpert didn't answer. He motioned to one of his Other friends and got a bottle of water. He turned and handed it to Andie. "Here; a woman in your condition should stay hydrated."

Andie took the bottled, waited until Alpert turned around and hurled it back at him; smacking him in the base of his neck. "Bite me." She snapped.

"Andie." Kate said warningly, grasping her wrist.

Alpert rubbed the back of his neck, turned and laughed. "Ok; I guess I deserved that."

"What do you want with us?" Sayid asked him; his arms folded over his chest.

"We need your help." Alpert answered honestly.

"What for?" Kate asked quizzically.

Alpert sighed. "We need you to help us rescue Ben."

**xxx**


	17. Chapter 17: We Make The Future

**Chapter Seventeen: We Make The Future**

Andie listened cautiously as Alpert explained to her, Kate and Sayid what he wanted them to do. With an unnerving accuracy he laid out his plan; telling them at a mile and a half from where they stood; Keamy and his men, with Ben in their capture, were waiting by the chopper armed and ready to shoot. Alpert told Kate she was to run directly towards them and say she was being chased by The Others. The Others would be strategically placed around the chopper and create a diversion to give Kate time to grab Ben and run towards Sayid on the same path she's arrived. Sayid was to be hidden a quarter of a mile away. Keamy would certainly follow Kate and Ben; that's where Sayid came in. Andie, whose pregnancy seemed common knowledge around the Others, was told to stay by Alpert's side to, in his words, 'keep out of harm's way'. And if the three of them did what they were told; Alpert promised they could leave the Island.

"How do we know this isn't a trick?" Kate asked with her hands on her hips as half of Alpert's people dispersed into the thicket.

"You don't." Alpert conceded. "But if you don't you'll never get off this island." He pointed into the distance. "If you run that way you'll reach the chopper in two minutes. Go." Kate looked worriedly at Andie and Sayid. The three of them shared a knowing look before Kate turned on her heel and ran. Alpert pointed Sayid towards a large oak tree. "Hide here." Then he turned to Andie. "You stay by me and you'll be fine."

Simply nodding, Andie allowed Alpert to lead her away. She had more than enough choice phrases she wanted to yell at him; but she hated to admit he was right. That is, if he kept his word. Nestling into hiding at the base of an elm tree; Andie waited with bated breath. Her last contact with the Others was when she and Sawyer escaped from their cages on the other island. They didn't exactly have a stain-free history together. Arrogant as it may have sounded, Andie couldn't shake the feeling that this might all be a ruse to get her back with them again. They'd tried numerous times before; what was different now?

Barely thirty seconds later, gunshots went off in the near distance. Andie couldn't see the shooters but she could see the flashes of bullets. She ducked down into the trunk of the tree even deeper as the shots grew louder and more frequent. Then straight ahead she saw a frantic Kate running with Ben's roped hands in her grasp. Barely ten feet behind her was Keamy; pure hatred evident on his face as he sped after the escapees with his rifled under his arm. He was so focused on getting Linus that he wasn't at all prepared for Sayid to come flying out from his hiding place and tackling him on the ground.

Alpert grabbed Andie under her arm. "Move." He said to her in a hushed whisper as he directed her to Kate and Ben, who had stopped once they'd seen Sayid tackle Keamy.

Andie watched in horror as Keamy and Sayid fought; tumbling and throwing punches with utter revulsion for each other. Elbows were thrown; knees were kicked; blood was spat everywhere. The fight culminated when Keamy, on top of Sayid, was pressing the tree limb into his neck to cut off his air. Sayid's only defense was to use what strength he had left and try and force the tree limb back. Sayid had no chance, Keamy was in the power position and Sayid was soon struggling to breathe as the limb pressed against his throat.

Then suddenly three gunshots rang out. Keamy toppled off Sayid and rolled onto the ground. Panting, Sayid looked up and saw Richard with a handgun outstretched. He walked towards Sayid as he lowered his weapon.

Andie and Kate bolted to Sayid's side to help him get to his feet. As they helped him stand, they all noticed numerous, dirty Others emerge from the tall grass and jungle around them. Andie grinned at Sayid as she helped him up. He returned the smile as he looked down at Keamy's body; his eyes wide open staring blankly into the sky.

Ben picked up the discarded knife. "Thank you for coming, Richard." He said to his friend.

"My pleasure." Richard replied as he pocketed his gun.

Ben held his bound hands toward Kate along with the knife. "Could you cut me free, Kate?" She gave an uncertain look to her friends but reached for the knife and started cutting him out. Ben looked to Alpert. "What was the arrangement?"

"They, uh, help us free you, and we let 'em off the island." Richard answered.

Ben looked from Kate to Andie to Sayid and nodded his head once. "Fair enough. The helicopter is yours. You, Andie and Sayid have a safe journey back."

"So we can go? Off the island? That's it?" Kate questioned him as she released his hands – though she made sure she hung onto the knife.

"That's it." Ben replied.

**xxx**

_I hate Tikrit_, Andie thought to herself as she fanned herself with a brochure. _It's hot, it's dirty and I can't understand a thing anyone's saying._ She was standing on the balcony of a large church waiting patiently. She'd only flown in the day before and was leaving that night; but she couldn't leave just yet. Her desperate need to use the bathroom had made her duck out of the ceremony as quickly as possible. Now nearing the start of her eighth month of pregnancy; she was really feeling the effects of it all. Holding Aaron was growing increasingly harder; especially since he'd started walking. She was growing out of her clothes within weeks and she'd pretty much given up on closed in shoes; her feet couldn't handle it.

"Andie." Sayid's voice called to her from the end of the balcony. "You made it."

Turning, Andie saw her friend walking towards her wearing a content, happy grin as well as a perfectly fitted suit. "Look at you all handsome." She greeted him with open arms.

"Look at you all pregnant." He countered as he wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. "Should you really be flying?"

"I'm good for another week or so." She assured him. "I fly home tonight. Besides; Oceanic gave us that gold pass for a reason."

Sayid pulled away and smiled at her. "I do not believe I got you to come to Tikrit for my wedding." He slipped his arm around her waist and the pair of them walked together along the balcony.

"Well; you're the only man I'd travel this far for." Andie told him. "Where is Mrs. Jarrah, anyway?"

"Greeting guests." Sayid told her with a smile. "She can't wait to see you." They headed inside off the balcony and into what seemed to be an empty ball room. "How is Aaron?"

"Getting bigger every second." Andie sighed as she thought of him.

"And Nick?" Sayid asked carefully.

"He's...he's great." Andie smiled.

Sayid stopped walked and turned to her. "What is it?" He asked; knowing her evasive attitude like the back of his hand.

Andie smiled and looked at her feet. "Can I ask you something?" she queried as she fiddled with the engagement ring on her hand.

"Of course." Sayid nodded.

"Why did you marry Nadia?" she asked carefully. Since she'd accepted Nick's proposal; Andie had been wracked with guilt. And any time she thought of the wedding her heart seemed to bounce around in her chest like a frog in a sock.

"Because I love her." Sayid answered with ease. "What's wrong, Andie?"

"I dunno…" Andie started tearfully. "It's just...every day that goes by I realize...I don't love him the way that I used to. And sometimes I look at him with Aaron and I just want him to be…" She bit her lip.

"Sawyer." Sayid finished for her.

Andie nodded and wiped a tear from her eye. "It's not fair to him. He thinks Aaron's his son; he's not. He thinks I love him like he loves me...I don't." she shrugged. "What am I s'posed to do? I can't tell him the truth…it'd kill him. But I...I can't stay with him...it's not right…is it?"

"Andie." Sayid cupped her head in his hands. "I can't answer that for you."

"Yeah; you're a lotta help." She said sarcastically. "Anyway; enough about me." She laughed. "This is about you. You just got married; go be with your wife."

"Let me drive you to the airport tonight." Sayid offered.

"No; I'll be fine. I really will." She assured him.

"Thank you so much for coming." Sayid told her as he wrapped his arms around her. "We'll be on our honeymoon for two weeks; I'll call you when we come home." He kissed her lightly on the mouth and held her hands tightly. "Do not have that baby before I get back."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Andie smiled.

**xxx**

Sayid, Andie and Kate walked back the way the bullets had been spraying all very scared they were walking into a trap. Perhaps Keamy's men were all waiting in the wings? Kate told them that during the battle back at the chopper she'd seen all of Keamy's men disappear, get shot or blown up by a wayward grenade but Andie was still on edge. That was until she saw Jack, Hurley, Sawyer and Lapidus all by the chopper.

Hurley saw them first. "Andie! Sayid! Kate!" he wrapped his arms around Sayid. "Good to see you, Dude."

"Sawyer." Andie breathed as she approached him; a smile spreading on her face as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"You ok, Angel?" he asked in a hushed voice as he hugged her back.

"Where's the baby?" Hurley asked Andie as Kate went to check on Jack's surgical wound.

"He's with Sun, and they should be at the freighter by now." Andie replied as she and Sawyer headed for the chopper where Lapidus was trying to pick his handcuffs open.

"Hey, Kenny Rogers." Sawyer quipped. "What you trying to do there, pick a lock?"

"You got a better idea?" Lapidus asked helplessly.

Sawyer rummaged through the open toolbox in front of the pilot. "Hacksaw." He said triumphantly as he removed the tool. Lapidus grinned as Sawyer started filing away at the cuffs.

"Sayid, how'd you get back?" Jack asked him as he and Kate came over to the chopper.

"I took the Zodiac from the freighter." Sayid explained.

"Is it safe? The freighter?" Jack asked. "A body from the boat washed up on the beach…"

"It's safe now." Sayid assured him.

"All right!" Lapidus whooped as Sawyer cut him free. "Let's get the hell outta here!"

"No." Andie spoke up. "Claire's still here. I won't leave without her."

"We'll come back for her after we drop everyone else on the freighter." Jack told her. "I promise."

"Fine. Then I'll start looking now and you guys can meet up with me later." Andie said firmly as she took a step away from the chopper.

"Andie, no." Sawyer grabbed her elbow. "I ain't letting you stay on this rock. We're leaving now. Together."

"I can't leave her here, Sawyer." Andie told him defiantly. "That baby needs his mother. I won't leave Claire behind."

"We'll come back, Andie." Jack assured her as he helped Kate get into the chopper. "But we gotta get outta here. Now." The rotors of the chopper spun to life as Lapidus clicked the engine into gear.

Andie swallowed hard and looked at Sawyer. "I can't leave her." She whispered.

"Everything's gonna be fine." He promised her. "But I need ya to get on this thing with me, alrigh'? Please."

Andie drew a deep breath and glanced around the forest; willing Claire to appear. To come running towards them with her blonde hair whipping behind her in the breeze. But no one came. Andie nodded her head to Sawyer and let him help her onto the chopper. He sat beside her and held her knee with his hand as the chopper took off into the air. Andie peered past Kate on her right and the pair of them looked down at the island they'd called home for the last three months. They were finally leaving it all behind. As they flew towards the ocean; Andie noticed their home on the beach and how far away it was from the middle of the jungle; it really made her gauge how strenuous their treks had been. Andie leant over and looked over Sawyer's side of the chopper; leaning into his chest as she did so. Finally that was below them was the ocean. Leaning back in her seat, Andie closed her eyes and realized she was squeezing Sawyer's hand – she didn't even remember grabbing it. Smiling to herself Andie let the wind whip her hair all over her face because, for the first time in months, she felt genuine relief.

**xxx**


	18. Chapter 18: As Long As We’re Together

**Chapter Eighteen: As Long As We're Together**

"Jack." Andie smiled as she opened her front door and saw her friend on her front stoop.

"Hey, Andie." Jack greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and warm, yet somewhat anxious hug. "You look great." He nodded at her belly. "Two weeks to go, huh?"

Andie put a hand over her stomach. "Yeah; but my mother used to tell me how I was three weeks late so I'm not betting on this one." She smiled. "What's up? Your message was a little vague…" she directed Jack into her kitchen. "Do you want a coffee?"

"Yeah; sure." Jack nodded as he sat at the kitchen table. "Where's Aaron?"

"With Nick for the day." Andie told him sadly; glancing at her ring-less finger. Handing back that engagement ring had been one of the hardest things she'd ever done. "It's good for Aaron to spend time with him; he can't lose _another_ father." She smiled sadly as she prepared a mug of coffee for Jack.

"Did you tell him about Sawyer?" Jack asked carefully.

"Not exactly." Andie replied. "I told him as much of the truth as I could. That Aaron's real mother died giving birth…that I fell in love with someone else…that this is _his_ baby...and that he died on the island." Andie willed tears out of her eyes. Kate had helped her decide to call Sawyer one of the two other survivors of the crash in the story the six of them had created. Eight people had survived the crash; two had died on the island. That was the lie they were sticking with. It caused Andie physical pain to refer to Sawyer as dead; but it caused her more pain to lie to Nick. He'd taken it hard; as she'd expected, and moved out about a week later. They'd agreed he could see Aaron whenever he wanted; he loved that little boy like a son; and it wasn't Aaron's decision to lie. Nick didn't want to punish him for something he couldn't control.

"I'm so sorry you had to do this." Jack told her honestly. "I never…"

"Jack." Andie caught his eye. "It's better this way. For the first time since we got back I actually feel like I can breathe out. I don't feel like I have to watch everything I say anymore." She smiled and stirred sugar into Jack's coffee. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Um...at my dad's funeral last month…" Jack started. "There was a woman there. A blonde woman."

Andie handed him his mug of coffee and sat across from him. She'd gone to the funeral with Kate, Hurley, Nadia and Sayid (days before their wedding) and taken Nick and Aaron with her. She'd never met Christian; but Jack asked her to come so of course she'd obliged. But she didn't know who Jack was talking about. "A blonde woman?"

"Yeah. She, ah, she told me she was the reason my Dad was in Australia when he died." Jack spoke to his coffee cup. "That he came to see his daughter. _Their_ daughter."

"Daughter?" Andie furrowed her brow. "How-how can…? What?"

"I checked it out…it's true." Jack rubbed his temple. "Andie." He looked up at her. "Their daughter – my...my sister – was on our plane." He gulped. "Claire."

Andie leant back in her chair and covered her mouth with one hand and her belly with the other. "Cl-Claire?" Andie repeated as tears stung her eyes. _Jack and Claire were related? Aaron was Jack's nephew?_ A sharp pain stabbed Andie through her middle like a knife. "Oh, god." She gasped.

"I'm sorry; I'm so sorry, Andie." Jack apologized. "I know this is crazy-"

"No, Jack." Andie looked up at him fearfully. "My water just broke."

**xxx**

Andie felt like she could have fallen asleep on the chopper even if the wind was chapping her lips and she was getting cold; at least she was going home. Home. It seemed too good to be true. She could see Sayid's profile as he sat beside Lapidus. She saw her friend glance nervously at the pilot. Then there was a clunking sound below them; they all felt it – something was wrong.

Jack turned around to Lapidus. "What's the matter?" he asked over the engine and the wind.

"We're losing fuel." Lapidus admitted woefully.

Andie instinctively gripped Sawyer's hand tighter. He was looking furtively up ahead; hoping to see the freighter on the horizon; a sign that the lack of fuel wasn't going to be their downfall. But he saw nothing.

"What?!" Hurley yelped.

"We're losing fuel!" Lapidus yelled. "Look outside!"

Jack hung his head outside and spotted the fuel spewing behind the chopper. "We have a fuel leak!" he yelled. "A bullet must have pierced the tank!"

"We gotta find a place to set her down!" Lapidus yelled.

Andie locked eyes with Kate as Jack and Frank yelled back and forth at each other. She looked as worried as Andie felt.

"We gotta get every ounce of extra weight off this chopper now!" Lapidus yelled to everyone in the back. "Anything that's not bolted down, toss it out!"

Andie let go of Sawyer's hand and helped everyone throw things out of the chopper. Andie chucked the toolbox and helped Sawyer chuck a long case underneath their seat and sent it out the side.

"Now what? Is that enough? Can we make it?!" Jack asked worriedly.

"I'd feel a hell of a lot better if we were a few hundred pounds lighter!" Lapidus answered. "Well, if we don't make it, we're still close enough to ditch it on the beach."

"Hey! Do not go back to the island!" Jack screamed fiercely.

Andie didn't blame Jack; she agreed with him. They'd just left the Island; no way in hell were they going back. She was still trying to deal with what Ben had said, that they had been _allowed_ to leave. If he had that kind of sway then surely if they landed; he could recant his offer and they'd be stuck. And no way in hell was Andie going to let that happen; her baby wouldn't survive. She looked at Hurley; he looked utterly guilt-ridden knowing that without his weight the chopper might have a shot. She looked over at Sawyer; he was watching her strangely. Sadly. Tears misting his eyes. Fear gripped Andie's heart like a vice as he grabbed her head and pressed his lips against her ear.

"Remember I told you about my daughter." He whispered to her. "She's in Albuquerque. Find her. Tell her I'm sorry." He pulled away from her but kept his hands on her face.

"Why are you telling me this?" Andie asked fearfully.

"Just do it, Angel." He told her as she reached one hand down onto her abdomen. "Tell our baby...this was the only way to keep you safe...and I'm sorry." He grabbed Andie's face and kissed her hard; lovingly taking in her warmth. Pulling away he looked deep in her eyes and stroked the tears away from her eyes with his thumb. "This ain't goodbye." He told her. "I love you, Andie." Then he let go of her, smiled at Hurley, Kate and Jack and tossed himself out of the chopper.

"NO!!!" Andie screamed and jumped after him; her fingers grazing the fabric of his shirt as he hurtled towards the vast, blue ocean below them. But something pulled Andie back into the chopper; it took her a moment to realize it was Jack. "NO!!!!" Andie screamed as Sawyer fell into the ocean. "Oh god!!! No, no, no!!" She tried to squirm out of Jack's arms but he held her tight. "No; go back! We have to go back for him! No!"

"Andie! Stop!" Jack pulled her body into his; his arms straining as he held her to his chest.

Andie's energy waned and she just stared in disbelief at the ocean below them. She saw Sawyer break the surface of the ocean and flick his hair back off his face. He waded on the spot for a moment as he watched the chopper fly away and then swam back towards the Island. Tears poured down Andie's face as she struggled in Jack's arms. "Please go back." Her voice broke as she pleaded. "I can't...Jack; I can't leave him here."

"As soon as we get on the freighter we'll come back for him; I promise." He told her as he managed to pull her into the seat beside him.

Andie's eyes were blurred as she stared out the side of the chopper at fading speck that was Sawyer swimming back the Island. Her hands were gripping Jack's forearms tightly. She felt Kate's hand comfortingly rub her back but she just felt numb. She couldn't shake the feeling that she'd just said goodbye to Sawyer for good.

**xxx**

"Push, Andie!" Dr. Thomas yelled as her patient reared forwards. "Come on; one more, big push."

"Come on, Andie, you can do this." Kate pleaded with her friend as she gripped her hand tightly.

"I'm sorry, I can't!" Andie gasped as she collapsed backwards. She'd been in labour for almost twenty hours now and couldn't imagine a worse pain. Her baby was a couple of weeks early; but apparently that wasn't all that uncommon. Andie had refused pain relief drugs because she didn't want to harm her baby or miss the experience; but right now she realized what a stupid decision she'd made. "I want the drugs; Kate; I want the drugs!" she gasped.

Kate wiped Andie's sweaty hair off her forehead and looked at Dr. Thomas. "Can't you give her something?"

"I'm sorry; it's too late for that." The doctor told them.

"What!?" Andie yelped.

"Well; there's only a window of time to administer painkillers." The doctor explained. "And that window has closed."

"Well, break it!" Andie screamed as she grabbed at Kate. "Kate; break the window!"

Kate smiled and gripped Andie's hand tighter. "I can't; honey."

"Oh, son of a bitch!" Andie screamed as she was hit with another contraction; this one like a sword plunging through the length of her body.

"Andie; you need to push harder." Dr. Thomas told her firmly. "You're not pushing hard enough; nothing's happening.

"I'm sorry; I can't do it." Andie collapsed backwards again. "Kate you do it for me; ok? I'll pay you; please."

"Alright; take a little break; the next contraction should be in about thirty seconds." Dr. Thomas warned Andie.

"Kate; I can't do it. Why won't she come out?" Andie asked her friend with tired, tearful eyes.

"Y'know; I think you've made her so happy in there she just doesn't wanna leave." Kate said with a smile.

Andie smiled as tears mixed with her sweat and ran down her face. "Listen to you; making up crap for me." Her body convulsed with another contraction. "Oh, dammit; thirty seconds my ass!" She roared at the doctor.

"Ma'am; you're screaming is worrying patients outside." A nurse commented as she ducked her head into the room.

"DO YOU THINK I GIVE A CRAP?!" Andie screeched at her. "GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!" the nurse scurried away.

"Andie; stop scaring people." Kate told her; unable not to smile just a little. "Come on; think about your baby, alright? She needs you now. She needs your help."

"Andie; you have to push now. This contraction; one big push. Are you ready?" Dr Thomas asked her with serious eyes. "Come on."

Andie sobbed but nodded her head as Kate helped her lean forwards. "Push; Andie." Kate whispered into her ear as she firmly held her friend's shoulders. "Come on!"

Andie held her breath and pushed down as hard as she could; screaming through gritted teeth. "Grr-argh!!!" she gasped and fell backwards.

"You did it!" Kate squealed excitedly.

Andie closed her eyes and gasped for air; finally realizing there was something missing. "Why isn't she crying?" she opened her eyes and looked down for her baby but Dr. Thomas had turned away and was shielding the infant. "Kate; why isn't she crying?" Andie grabbed at her friend.

All of a sudden; a high pitched cry rang through the silent delivery room. Dr. Thomas turned around with a wide grin on her face and held up a crying, fidgeting baby with a head of light brown hair. "She had some fluid in her mouth; but she's ok."

"She?" Andie gasped as she stared at her baby. "She's really a she?"

"She's a she." Dr. Thomas nodded as she loosely wrapped the blotchy red, squirming baby in a white blanket. "Congratulations, Andie." She laid the newborn on her chest. "She's perfect."

Andie cradled the baby over her heart. She had stopped crying as soon as the doctor had laid her on her chest. Now she just whimpered and blinked her tiny eyelids as she stared at her mother. "Hi, baby." Andie said breathlessly as she wiped her baby's face clean with a corner of her blanket. "I'm your mum."

"Oh, she's beautiful." Kate gushed as she rubbed the baby's head. "She's just beautiful."

Andie giggled tearfully as she clutched her baby. The infant opened her round eyes, bright greeny-blue in colour, and gripped her tiny fist around her mother's forefinger. "She looks like him." Andie smiled.

"Yeah; she does." Kate kissed her friend's temple.

The doctor told them they needed to finish up with Andie and clean up her baby so Kate, after swearing to Andie she wouldn't leave her daughter's side, went with the baby while the doctors and nurses made sure Andie was alright before wheeling her back into her own room. Hurley, Jack and Aaron were all waiting outside and kissed and hugged her congratulations as she was wheeled past. Kate and Andie's baby was waiting for her when she came into her room. The little girl had been wrapped firmly in a soft pink blanket and Kate handed her to Andie as soon as she was ready. Promising Andie she'd take care of Aaron, Kate left the room and gave Andie some time with her daughter.

She glanced around at the flowers decorating her room. They had come from all over the world. Some an old friend in Australia, some from Sun all the way from Korea and even some from Nick. He hadn't come to the hospital; but he had called her to make sure she and her baby were alright.

"What did I tell you?" A voice came from the doorway.

Andie looked over at the door and her eyes lit up. "Sayid." She grinned as her friend came towards her.

"I told you _not_ to have that baby before I came back...I should've known you wouldn't listen to me." He peered at the baby in Andie's arms. She was sleeping soundly but flexing her fingers in and out as she dozed. Sayid held one of her tiny hands with his finger. "She's perfect."

"I know." Andie kissed her baby's forehead. "Where's Nadia? When did you get back? I didn't cut into your honeymoon time; did I?"

"No; we arrived in America yesterday. Nadia's with Kate and Aaron." Sayid assured her, kissing her forehead as a hello. "Still; I didn't expect this one to arrive so early."

"Yeah; she's eager." Andie admitted. In her arms; her daughter cried out softly and opened her eyes. "Do you want to hold her?" She asked Sayid. He smiled hugely in return so Andie passed her baby to him.

Sayid cradled the child carefully and looked at her sparkling eyes. "She looks like Sawyer."

"I know she does." Andie smiled tearfully.

The baby started crying so Sayid handed her back to her mother. "What is her name?"

Andie had known from day one what she'd call her baby whether it was a boy or a girl. And now, finally meeting her daughter, she knew it was just as perfect as she was. "James." Andie smiled. "Her name is James."

**xxx**


	19. Chapter 19: Never Fade Away

**Chapter Nineteen: Never Fade Away**

Andie couldn't seem to let go of Jack's arm; she wasn't sure why. Her eyes were glued to the horizon; not looking for the freighter but just staring. Her lips still tingled from Sawyer's kiss; how could he have jumped? Why wouldn't he take me with him? Why would he leave me? The rational parts of Andie's brain answered all these questions. He was saving me. He wants me and our baby to live. He did what he had to do. But Andie didn't care to listen to reason; not now. Half-listening to the conversation going on around her; she caught wind that they only had five minutes more fuel and Lapidus was having trouble finding the boat.

"Hey! There it is!" Hurley suddenly screamed pointing out the side of the chopper. "There's the boat! I see it! There it is!"

His obvious excitement caused Andie to focus her vision and look towards her left; she, too, saw the ominous looking freighter floating on the water below them. Lapidus swung a hard left, causing his passengers to hang on tight, and aimed the chopper for the freighter. As they came in for landing, Andie noticed Desmond waving his arms up at them looking extremely frantic. At first she thought he was just making sure they saw him; but as they lowered onto the end of the freighter, she saw the panic on his face.

"There's a bomb!" He screamed. "Don't land! Go back!!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs; fighting the interference from the wind and the roar of the chopper's rudders.

"Did he say _bomb_?" Jack asked Lapidus, still firmly clutching Andie's hand. Lapidus seemed to ignore Jack as he adjusted some of the levers around him. "What are you doing?" Jack asked worriedly.

"I don't care what he said; we are out of fuel! We got no chance unless I fill her up!" Lapidus yelled as he landed the chopper safely. He unhooked his seat belt and clambered out of the machine to refuel.

Jack squeezed Andie's hand once before hurrying onto the deck of the freighter. Desmond met him with a frantic look in his eyes. "There's a bomb right below us; this whole thing's gonna blow!" He directed his screams at Jack. "Jin and Michael are doing all they can but there's no time! You gotta get off this thing!"

Hurley took over the job of emptying out random things that may hold them down that hadn't already been tossed. Andie watched Kate jump out of the chopper after Jack and felt useless. She couldn't get up off her seat; she just cradled her arms around herself and sat there. That was until, over all the mechanical sounds around her, she heard Aaron's familiar, piercing cry call out to her.

"Somebody patch up that bullet whole!" Lapidus screamed as he filled up the fuel tank.

Sayid climbed out of the chopper and set about looking for the bullet puncture. He seized Andie's arm as he saw his friend jump out of the chopper. "Andie; get back on board!" He yelled over the chopper rudders.

"Sun and Aaron!" Andie yelled back.

"Kate's getting them!" Sayid yelled back, pointing down the end of the freighter where Kate had caught up to Sun with Aaron in her arms who was headed _inside_ the freighter as opposed to towards the chopper.

Andie couldn't see Jin but the dread aboard the freighter was so paramount she was sure she'd just missed him in her quick scan of the deck. But her need to be holding Aaron seemed to overtake every other thought in her head. She had to protect that little boy for Claire; she'd made a silent promise to her friend that she'd make sure he was safe. "I have to get that baby, Sayid!"

Noticing Desmond had taken over covering the bullet hole, Sayid grabbed Andie's hand and the two of them ran towards Sun. The reached her and caught the end of Kate saying something like "_I'll get him_" before running off towards the door into the freighter. Andie grabbed Aaron out of Sun's arms and turned back to the chopper. Sayid grabbed Sun's arm and pulled her after Andie. Sun kept craning her neck back, willing her husband to run out towards her. But by the time they reached the chopper; Lapidus was already in the front seat gearing up to take off.

Jack grabbed him through the front seat window. "Not yet!" He yelled.

"Your buddy said we got five minutes three minutes ago!" Lapidus yelled back, echoing Des's warning of when the bomb was set to go off. "If you're going, this is it!"

"Kate!" Andie yelled at Jack. He locked eyes with her and then searched the deck and took off. Aaron was screaming at the top of his tiny lungs as Andie climbed back into the chopper. Sayid left Hurley to help Sun inside and then went to help Desmond finish fueling up. Andie tried to muffle the frantic sounds around them out of Aaron's ears but he was squirming so much she wasn't having any luck.

"Let's go!" Lapidus screamed as he slid on his headphones and grabbed hold of the gearstick.

Andie looked frantically out the side of the chopper for her friends and saw Jack gripping Kate's hand and running towards them. Sayid finished fueling up and scampered into the chopper beside Andie as Des double checked that he'd covered the bullet hole in the side of the machine before climbing in as well.

"Where's Jin?!" Sun screamed at Kate and Jack as they climbed in across from her without her husband.

"Hold tight!" Lapidus screamed as they rose off the freighter.

Sun anxiously searched the deck of the freighter and spotted her husband come barreling into view. "It's Jin!" She screamed with a smile. "JIN! _JIN_!" She grabbed Lapidus by the shoulder over her seat. "Go back! Turn around!"

"We can't do it!" Lapidus replied as he concentrated on getting them in the air.

"We have to!" Sun cried; distress crawling up onto her face. "We need to go back!"

Andie looked around Sayid and saw her friend waving his arms at them; yelling something at them in Korean. Her heart sank deeper as she clutched Aaron and the chopper sailed further away from the freighter. All of a sudden; a loud bang seemed to shake every bone in Andie's body as an intense heat came over her. She shielded Aaron as best she could and leant into Sayid. All she could hear was Sun's heartbreaking cry of pain as she reached down towards the freighter hoping to somehow grasp her husband. Her bellow of utter aching rang in Andie's ears; echoing the sound she'd made barely ten minutes before when she'd watched Sawyer descend into the ocean. Only this time Jack didn't hold back Sun; Hurley did. He pulled her away from the edge as she broke into sobs. Desmond covered his mouth and closed his eyes; silent in his anguish. Sayid gripped Sun's arm to keep her away from the side while Jack and Kate's hands were interlocked in a permanent embrace.

"We have to go back for Jin!" Sun screamed as she gripped into the shoulder of Hurley's shirt; yelling her demands at Jack.

"Sun; there's nobody down there." Jack told her with a tearful shake of his head.

"You can't see anything from here!" She countered with furious tears.

"We didn't get enough fuel!" Lapidus yelled back at them. "We can't go back!"

"Go lower!" Sun shrieked at him. "I know he's there!"

Sayid gripped Sun by her shoulders. "Sun! I'm sorry; I'm so sorry." He told her.

"He's down there!" Sun yelled desperately.

"He's not down there." Sayid said sadly.

"We can't go back!" Lapidus roared as Sun groped for the gearstick over her seat.

"I won't leave him!" Sun screamed at Hurley and Sayid as they tried to hold her back. "We're not leaving him! Turn back!" She shook Lapidus's shoulders. "Turn_ BACK_!!!"

"Sun!" Jack called to her, turning his head away from the disappearing freighter. "It's gone!"

For the first time in awhile; Andie could hear clearly. All she could hear were Aaron's wails and Sun's guilt-ridden sobs mixed with the chopper rudders. Andie cradled Aaron over her heart and realized she was weeping into his tiny shoulder.

"Lapidus!" Jack called. "Fly us back to the Island."

"You got it." Lapidus answered. He hadn't known Jin at all; but the cries of his enough would cause emotion in the most stoic of men. Swallowing his guilt and not being able to turn back, Frank set the chopper aligned and headed back to the island.

"No." Sun mumbled in a weakened; pained voice. "No." She gripped Sayid tightly. "NO!!!!!!" She screamed to the heavens.

Andie broke into sobs; clutching the infant in her arms. "It's ok." She mumbled to Aaron as she squinted her eyes shut hoping that maybe if she didn't look at Sun, she wouldn't feel her pain so much. "It's ok."

**xxx**

The waves crashed around Sawyer as his feet his sand on the floor of the ocean. He gasped and panted as he pulled himself up to his feet. Somewhere in the swim back from the chopper he lost his shirt but he didn't care. The ache in his chest was partially due to his lungs heaving from the mile or so swim he'd just completely, but the bulk of the pain was for the woman he'd left behind. He'd truly believed when the pair of them climbed aboard that chopper they would be leaving the damn rock behind for good. But no; instead he was walking the all too familiar sandy beach back up towards camp. _But she's safe,_ he told himself. _They both are. _

Up ahead he noticed a forlorn looking Juliet sitting in the sand drinking from a Dharma bottle of vodka. "Nice day for a swim." He panted as he fell on his knees before her. "What're you celebrating?"

"I'm not celebrating." She answered sadly; flicking her eyes at the horizon.

Sawyer turned and followed her line of sight. On the horizon was a dark cloud of smoke billowing out of the ocean. He snapped his head back to Juliet. "That our boat?"

"It was." She mumbled with teary eyes.

Newfound energy coursing through his veins, Sawyer sprang to his feet and stumbled back down the beach. His sodden jeans and jelly-like legs made walking difficult but he managed to stagger down to the water's edge; his wide eyes on the plume of smoke in the distance. He could do nothing, say nothing, feel nothing...his whole life was out there, floating up into nothingness with the blackness of the freighter's demise. Sawyer sank to his knees; tears mixing with the sand and salty water streaked across his face. And with a strangled voice he muttered,

"Andie…"

**xxx**


	20. Chapter 20: This Ain't Goodbye

_This is it! Last chapter of Andie season 4!!! :D:D I've already started season 5 so it won't be long til it's up here too :P It will be called Entangled so look out for it if you're interested to see what happens ;] Thanks guys for supporting Andie; i love that other people love a character I created :D:D *hugs you all*_

**Chapter Twenty: This Ain't Goodbye**

"Bah!" Jamie squealed from her high chair; thrusting her mashed potato covered hands up to her mother.

"Aw, you made more work for Mummy." Andie said as she began to clean up her daughter. "Thank you." She wiped off Jamie's hands with a washcloth and lifted her out of her seat. "Aaron? Get your little butt in here for dinner!" She called down the hall.

A few moments later; Aaron came barreling into the kitchen with a toy airplane clasped in his hand. "Mummy; Aunty Kate on TV again." He said jumping up and down on the spot.

Shifting Jamie to her other hip, Andie walked into the living room behind Aaron and saw footage Kate on the TV screen surrounded by reporters and protesters as she head into a courthouse. It was heading into the second week of her trial. Andie had been to see her; she was rattled. As was Jack. Kate wasn't content to lie anymore; she'd admitted to Jack she didn't want him to lie on the stand by telling their story they'd been spewing from the day they arrived back on American soil. Sighing, Andie picked up the remote and switched off the TV set.

"Aaron; go eat your dinner please." She told him. He didn't protest; he headed back into the kitchen. Shifting Jamie again back to her other hip, Andie followed. Her daughter was nearing one year old and getting a lot heavier to carry than she used to be. Jamie laughed as her mother moved her around. Her laugh was sweet; blissful. Her cheeks were gaining faint dimples in the corners of her mouth and every day her eyes seemed to be just that touch more green. Her hair was as straight as her mothers and draped over her perfect head like an angel's. The colour of her hair evaded Andie in that she had no idea what to call it. It was as though her DNA had mixed with Jamie's father to create a new colour, a russet brown with blonde highlights; almost two colours in one. People often commented on her hair; it was a strange thing to point out in Andie's opinion. Hair was hair.

After Aaron finished his dinner, Andie bathed both children and put them to bed. Aaron had recently upgraded to a big-boy bed. Nick had helped him paint it to look like outer space with planets and rockets soaring through the air. Andie was grateful for Nick's influence in Aaron's life. The little boy needed a father; Nick knew this. That's why he stuck around. His relationship with Andie may have fallen apart but Aaron, be he biologically his son or not, did not deserve to be blamed. Besides which Aaron loved spending time with him. He took him to parks and to the zoo. The only thing Nick wasn't interested in was Jamie. He wasn't intentionally neglectful to her but moreso he had no connection to her. She was the product of Andie's betrayal; Andie assumed this is why he never took her along. He played with her and talked to her when he came to pick up Aaron; but she wasn't his to care for. She was Sawyer's.

By eight o'clock, Andie was wiped. She clicked on the dishwasher, started a load of laundry and double checked both children were sleeping before she retired to her own bed. She'd never thought of herself as the stay-at-home mummy type. With her job before the crash with Danny and her inability to conceive, she'd given up on that dream. Now she was living it. It was almost too surreal. But Andie was happy to adjust.

**xxx**

Andie couldn't help but feel a little relieved as the chopper headed back towards the Island. She was already running through in her mind what she'd say to Sawyer once she'd seen him again. The island was in sight now; almost waving at them on the horizon and welcoming them back. Almost as if it knew they would return. Granted Andie wasn't thrilled to have to return without Jin. Aaron was still screaming; the noise of the chopper seeming to greatly unsettle him. Andie cradled his head; trying to muffle the sound as best she could but nothing seemed to help. He wanted his mother. Andie was silently praying that some way, somehow, Claire had managed to navigate her way back to the beach and would be waiting for them when the landed on the island.

Suddenly Andie's ears pricked as a whirring noise seemed to surround all of them. She glanced at Kate and saw only confusion. "Do you hear that?" She asked over the roar. Kate nodded in reply.

"What is that?" Des asked as he stuck his head out the side of the chopper.

The sound reminded Andie of the loud engine as a plane took off or came into land; a powering up sound. Whatever it was; it wasn't normal. She gripped Aaron tightly to her chest. Then she spotted a light on the horizon seeming to come within the Island. Unable to keep her eyes off it; Andie watched as the violent white light seem to explode and envelope the island completely. The bright glare burnt Andie's retinas; she had no choice but to squint her eyes shut. Covering Aaron's eyes with his blanket she tried her best to shield him. When she opened her eyes; the white light was gone.

And so was the Island. Rising off her feet; Andie's jaw dropped. It was gone. All that was before them was the vast expanse of blue ocean; as though the Island and all that remained on it had never existed in the first place.

"Where's the Island?" Lapidus asked from the front seat; looking all over for it. "Where's the Island?! Where the hell's the Island?!"

Jack hung his head out the window; also scanning for it. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing but water ahead of them.

"It's gone." Hurley muttered in disbelief as he craned his neck to see out the front window.

A wide-eyed Sun didn't know what to do. Sayid frantically kept searching but it was useless.

"What the hell are we gonna do?" Andie cried anxiously; well aware that Lapidus had said as they took off from the freighter that they hadn't got enough fuel.

"Where am I gonna land?!" Lapidus screamed.

"There's another, smaller island nearby that they took us to!" Jack yelled up towards him.

"I got news for ya, Doc! There's nothin' but water in every direction!" Lapidus replied frantically as a buzzer began to beep on the panel in front of him. He wrenched off his headphones. "Doesn't matter now. That's it, people; we're outta fuel!" He yelled back to his passengers.

Andie looked frantically around at her friends. They were literally helpless. The rudders started to slow and the engine cut down to nothing as the chopper swerved and headed for the ocean. Aaron squirmed in Andie's arms; she had to protect him. How? They were about to smash into the ocean; how the hell was she meant to keep an infant afloat?

"Get your life vests on! We're goin in!" Lapidus screamed.

Jack found three vests under his seat and handed one to Kate before helping Andie weave hers on around Aaron. Hurley helped Sun into her own vest and then tried to buckle his own.

"Desmond! The life raft!" Sayid yelled over his shoulder.

Des grasped his hands around the raft stashed under his seat and handed it to Sayid who tossed it out the window and pulled the inflator tab as he let go of it so it would be floating if the survived the crash.

"Brace yourselves!" Lapidus yelled as he tried his best to keep control of the chopper; hopefully keeping them as straight as possible so they wouldn't nose dive. "HOLD ON!"

Jack gripped Kate with one hand and the side of the chopper with the other. Andie felt Sun's hand grab her own as she firmly held her right arm around Aaron who was screaming again. Ahead of her, Andie could see the ocean speeding towards them. She couldn't contain her fear as they hit the water and let out a terrified scream.

Almost immediately Andie was flipped upside down. She felt the cold of the water all around her. Her head ached; her bones ached and something was grabbing madly at her chest. It took her a moment to realize that she was completely submerged in the water and it was Aaron clawing at her. She'd let go of Aaron at some point in the crash but her life vest and kept him safe. Andie gripped her arm around the baby once more and frantically reached up with her free hand; swimming as hard as she could for the surface. Her legs kicked for dear life and her lungs were burning. She was out of oxygen. Finally; she broke the surface and breathed in a huge gulp of air. She immediately looked down to Aaron who was still securely in her life vest. She grabbed for him and made sure his head was out of the water. He was crying but he seemed to be alright.

"Andie!" Hurley's voice called. "She's over there! Andie!"

"Andie!" Sayid hollered. "Andie!"

"Yeah!" She coughed; her throat burning and chest heaving. She tried to swim but it was hard one handed. Aaron started to sob louder; screaming at the top of his lungs. For the first time Andie was calmed by his cry because it meant his lungs were okay.

"Andie." Sayid was beside her faster than she realized. "Are you alright? Aaron?"

"I think so." Andie replied as he helped her swim towards the raft where Hurley was yanking Kate aboard.

"Is everyone ok?" Andie asked as Sayid helped her swim.

"I don't know yet." He answered honestly as he saw Sun swimming towards them; she'd tossed further than most of them. "Hurley; help Andie." Sayid told his friend as he turned and went back for Sun.

"Sayid! You alright?!" Lapidus yelled as he made his way through the water towards the raft.

"Yes!" Sayid replied. "Where's Jack?!"

"Take the baby." Andie lifted him up to Hurley.

"I got him." Hurley took a very sodden Aaron and sat down with him as Kate helped heave Andie onto the raft. Both women collapsed, out of breath, beside Hurley.

"Desmond!" Lapidus suddenly yelled. "Jack! Gimme a hand!"

Andie peered over the side of the raft and saw Des floating on his stomach with Jack and Lapidus trying to wake him up. When they couldn't, they headed for the raft with his limp body.

"Get her up!" Sayid yelled to Hurley as he arrived with Sun.

Hurley handed Aaron back to Andie and helped Sun aboard. Seeing Jack and Lapidus struggling with Des; Kate dove back into the water to help them. Sayid climbed up on board and knelt beside Hurley as Jack, Kate and Lapidus heaved Desmond out of the water.

"Is he breathing?" Hurley asked as they dragged Des aboard. "Oh my God; is he breathing?"

Jack clawed his way onto the raft and fell beside Des; putting an ear to his chest to see if he was breathing. He wasn't. "Come on, Desmond." Jack began CPR as Lapidus helped Kate onto the raft and then climbed on himself.

"It's ok." Andie mumbled to Aaron; who was staring intently at Jack at work. "It's ok." Her chest still ached; she wondered how much water she'd swallowed. She knew that wasn't good for you; too much sea water made you hallucinate. She pushed those thoughts out of her mind and concentrated on Desmond.

On his second round of compressions, Des coughed to life; expunging all the water from his lungs. "Yeah; you're alright." Jack assured him as he helped him sit up. "You're alright." He lifted him back so he was sitting up against the side of the raft. Jack sat himself beside him and Kate fell beside Jack.

Andie leant her head on whoever was beside her; his dark skin gave him away as Sayid. He found her hand and clasped it in his own. They all sat in silence for a few moments; still wondering what the hell had just happened.

"It's ok." Jack said to them all. "It's ok. We're alive."

Andie's breath retained a form of normalcy as she lay against Sayid; exhaustion overcoming her. She didn't want to think about the Island. Sawyer was on that Island. It was gone. It was completely gone. Everything was gone.

**xxx**

She was woken only a few hours later by a loud creaking noise; someone standing on that weak floorboard in the hall. Groaning at the interruption of a sound sleep, Andie raised her head; thinking maybe Aaron had had a nightmare. Andie clicked on her lamp and saw her beside clock blinking 12:01 am. She glanced to her open doorway but didn't see Aaron. She called his name but he didn't appear. The sound of the phone ringing made Andie jump on the spot. Sighing she answered sleepily,

"Hello?" On the other end of the line; she could only hear clicks. "Hello; whose there?" she said again; more firmly this time. In response all she heard was weird static and a voice that seemed to be speaking in reverse. Then she heard the sound of a door open down the hall. Dropping the phone immediately, Andie got to her feet and retrieved the gun she'd hidden on the top shelf of her cupboard. Checking it was loaded; the hurried down the hall with fear rising in her throat. She saw Aaron's door ajar and almost gasped. Taking a slow breath; she kicked it open and saw someone in the chair beside his bed.

"Don't move!" she yelled firmly. She saw the person clutching Aaron's hand. "Don't you touch my son!"

The person turned; dirty blonde hair, tear streaked cheeks and sorrowful eyes. It was Claire.

Andie lowered the gun; she couldn't believe her eyes. "Claire…" She breathed, her heartbeat thumping in her chest. "How…?"

"Don't bring him back, Andie." Claire muttered with a shake of her head.

"Wh…?" Andie's mind was whirling.

Claire got to her feet and stormed over to Andie with tears streaming down her face. "Don't you dare bring him back!"

"Claire!" Andie screamed as she woke up in a cold sweat. She was alone in her bed. Claire was nowhere to be seen. But she had been. It was real. It wasn't just a dream. It was real. Andie clambered out of her bed and hurried down the hall. Aaron's door was shut. She opened it and saw him sleeping soundly alone in his room; unaware of her presence. Andie sat herself in the chair by his bed and took his tiny hand in her own. Tears overcame her as she stared at his face; the same face he shared with his mother. "I'm so sorry." She sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Aaron."

A half hour, she sat with him. Just making sure he was alright; that he slept soundly. He did; he'd been a good sleeper since birth, something Claire had always mentioned to Andie. Thinking she'd check on Jamie before heading back to bed, Andie exited Aaron's room and crossed the hall to her daughter's nursery. She wasn't at all prepared for what she saw. Sitting in the rocking chair beside Jamie's crib, cradling her protectively in his arms was Sawyer. Andie froze at the door; not knowing what to do.

Sawyer smiled up at her. "She's perfect, Angel." He said as he looked back down at his daughter. "She looks like me."

"Sawyer…" Andie could barely get his name out. She'd missed him more every day that went past and now he was here; smiling before her. "You can't be here…"

"I am here." He got to his feet and walked over to her; Jamie happily cooing in his arms. "I told you when I jumped it weren't goodbye." Sawyer reached out and touched Andie's cheek.

She felt him. She felt his skin on her own; his warmth. He was right there. "I-I don't un-understand…" She stammered.

"I want you to bring her back to me, Andie." Sawyer told her firmly. "I need you, Andie. You can't give up." He stared at her with earnest eyes. "I need you to _find me_."

Andie gasped as she woke up once again. This time she wasn't in her own bedroom, she was in Aaron's. She'd fallen asleep while sitting with him. He stirred as she woke but he didn't open his eyes. Andie kissed him goodnight and went out into the hall; her heart and mind still racing. She ducked her head into Jamie's room and saw her daughter sleeping soundly in her crib; her mouth hanging open just the way her father's did. Shutting the door, Andie slinked back against the wall and dropped to the ground with her head in her hands. And with her children sound asleep and no one around to see; she started to sob.

**xxx**

Day turned to night on the ocean as Andie cradled a much happier Aaron in her arms. His blue eyes glinted in the moonlight as he stared at up her; a silent thank you for all she'd done for him. Thoughts of her own baby whirled in Andie's mind. Was she ok? Would she survive? Only time would tell. But Andie didn't feel any dread for her child anymore. She didn't worry; it was as though she knew her baby would be alright. If Aaron could survive everything that had happened; so could her baby. Closing his eyes; Aaron seemed to nod straight off to sleep.

"Is he ok?" Sayid asked beside her; they had not moved once since Desmond had been revived.

"He's fine." Andie answered. "It's a miracle."

"I can't believe he did it." Hurley spoke up.

"Who did what?" Jack asked.

"Locke. He moved the island." Hurley continued.

"No, he didn't." Jack replied dismissively.

"Oh, really? 'Cause... one minute it was there, and the next it was gone, so... unless we, like, overlooked it, Dude, that's exactly what he did." Hurley explained tiredly. "But... if you've got another explanation, man, I'd love to hear it."

Lapidus lifted his head and spotted something in the distance. "God almighty." He breathed. "There's a boat." He jumped to his feet; wobbling the whole raft. "There's a boat out there! There's a boat out there."

"HEY!" Sayid got to his feet and started waving at it.

"You see it?!" Lapidus cupped his hands around his mouth and screamed. "Hey! Hey! Hey! Over here! Does it see us?"

"I think it does!" Desmond cried.

"Hey!" Sayid yelled again as everyone in the raft got on their feet and started waving at the boat floating in the distance.

"It is turning? It's turning! Hey!" Lapidus yelped excitedly.

Beside her; Andie heard Jack muttered something softly under his breath.

"We're gonna have to lie." He mumbled.

"What?" Kate inquired; stealing her eyes away from rescue for one moment.

"We're gonna have to lie." He said to them all in his normal voice.

"Lie about what?" Andie asked; trying her best to keep Aaron asleep.

"Everything, all of it, every moment since we crashed on the island." Jack told them.

"Jack... now I know I'm new to this group and everything, but isn't this the place where everybody starts jumping up and down and hugging each other?" Lapidus yelled clapping an arm on Desmond's shoulder.

"Your freighter... those men came to the island to kill us, all of us." Jack explained. " You said that our plane was discovered on the bottom of the ocean. Well, someone put it there--someone who wants everyone to think that we're dead. So what do you think's gonna happen to us when we tell them that that wasn't our plane? What do you think's gonna happen to the people that we left behind?"

"Sawyer and Claire…" Andie muttered instinctively. No way was she going to do anything to put them in harm's way if there was a chance they were alive. And Jack seemed to think there was; or else he wouldn't be protecting them.

"Jack, we can't. We can't pull it off." Kate said nervously.

"Just let me do the talking." Jack assured her as their rescue yacht came towards them.

A number of Portuguese men aboard the raft began yelling as they spotted the survivors, yelling things Andie didn't understand. She vaguely knew the accent but not enough to speak it or translate. That was until she heard a name in English.

"Ms. Widmore!" a deck hand yelled.

Behind her; Andie felt Des stumble. A spotlight hit the raft and Andie was able to see a blonde woman hang over the top deck of the yacht. "Throw them a rope!" She called in a British accent.

Desmond pushed past all of them. "Penny?" he called to her.

The look on her face said she knew immediately who he was. Des frantically grabbed at the rope the deckhand had tossed down and climbed up onto the yacht in three pulls. Andie could no longer see what was going on but Sayid and Jack helped her up the rope with Aaron and she saw Des with his arms firmly around Penny.

"This is Penny." He introduced her. "This is Andie and Aaron."

Penny clasped her arms around Andie and the baby; welcoming her warmly. Des introduced Penny to everyone in turn.

Jack brought up the rear and gratefully shook Penny's hand. "Nice to finally meet you." He said with a tired smile. "But we need to talk.

** xxx**

A week later, it was time to leave. Jack had organized everything. The story; the lie they were going to live by. The lie they were going to repeat so the world believed them. The lie that meant Sawyer was dead. Andie was numb to the whole experience, the only thing that brought her joy was Aaron. Penny formed an immediate bond with him the night they were rescued. Sun had been silent and so lost in her own thoughts that Andie didn't want to bother her so she'd asked Penny to watch Aaron while she showered and slept. A luxury Andie greatly appreciated. It had been decided that Aaron was going to be her son. They couldn't explain what happened to Claire; it would invite too many questions as to why she wasn't with them; why hadn't she survived. It was easier for Andie to play mother seven months before she was prepared to do it for real.

They were nearing an island called Membata. Penny had given them a raft; the seven of them were going to float to the island and begin their lie in mere moments. Andie hadn't been this scared in awhile. She found Sun standing alone on the deck looking out to see.

"Why are we doing this?" Sun suddenly asked. It was the most she'd said to Andie all well. The most she'd said to _anyone_ actually.

"To keep them safe." Andie replied almost monotonously. It was the mantra she was going to have to live by as she raised two children.

Below them, Des was handing Jack and Frank some planks of wood to use to steer the raft. Frank and Desmond were going to stay on the boat with Penny; they couldn't pretend to be passengers on the plane. Sun and Andie both made their way to the bottom deck where Penny was nursing Aaron. She handed him back to Andie and smiled. "He really is beautiful." She said as she hugged Andie goodbye. "Goodbye, sweetheart." She cooed as she kissed Aaron's head.

Jack and Desmond said their goodbyes before Des climbed back aboard and stood by Penny.

"Alright; let's go home." Jack called to his friends.

Andie hugged Desmond goodbye and kissed Frank's cheek before she headed into the raft towards Jack. Sun was right behind her followed by Hurley and Kate. Sayid was last to jump in. He sat on the opposite side of the raft to Jack so they could both steer. With one final look at the yacht; the pushed off and headed for Membata.

Approximately eight hours later in the later afternoon; Andie spotted the island. But, unlike the one they'd left behind, this one was swarming with people. People who noticed the raft sailing towards them. As they neared the beach, Sayid and Jack stopped rowing and climbed out of the boat. Villagers on the beach waded into the water, yelping excitedly as they saw them and helped dragged the boat up onto the beach. Sayid helped Sun out of the boat. Kate jumped out after Jack. Andie was last to heave herself out and onto the sand. Sayid put an arm around her and helped her walk up the beach. Andie looked around. She saw people; cars; shops; roads. This was home. She was home. Yet as they walked further up the beach away from the ocean; she felt emptier than ever. She longed for her former home; the home she'd had in a shabby tent with a tarp roof. The home she'd made with a man she loved and wholeheartedly missed. That was her home. That was where her heart was; and would always be.

**xxx**

When Jack and Kate announced they were engaged, Andie had been elated. But barely one week later it was over. Jack had screwed it up somehow. Andie didn't pester Kate for specifics but she knew it was alcohol related. Unsure of their future, Jack had moved out of Kate's house and into a home Andie had found for him. As Aaron's Uncle; she felt they had a connection now. She wanted to make sure he was alright; taken care of. Now one year later; Jack was a disheveled, drug addicted junkie who Andie couldn't stand to be around. But she'd dug her own whole with him. He began to pester her with calls. Drunkenly asking her to reason with Kate; help her understand. The week before Andie had finally gone to visit him and found him unconscious in his own filth. He'd told Andie he wanted them to go back to the Island; she had refused. Her life with Jamie and Aaron meant more to her than anything Jack spat out during his alcohol-fueled ramblings.

That was until this day; three days after her dreams. Her dreams of Claire and Sawyer. Claire telling her not to come back, Sawyer telling her that she needed to. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. Her heart ached for her daughter to be with her father and for Aaron to be with his mother. But she didn't know the right thing to do. Until now. She pulled her SUV up to Jack's house; a trail she'd driven many times by now, and let herself in through the front door.

"Jack? It's me." She called as she came in.

Jack appeared, bleary-eyed from the other room. "I'm glad you came." He mumbled as he stroked his hearty beard. "I wanted to talk to you.

"About what?" Andie asked with narrowed eyes.

Jack sighed. "I know this has been so hard for-"

"You don't know!" Andie screamed. "You don't know anything! You have no idea what it's like to wake up every day and stare into the face of someone who looks _exactly_ like Claire. And someone who looks _exactly_ like Sawyer. You have _no idea_!"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Andie." Jack pleaded with her; tears in his eyes. "We have to go back. We _all_ have to go back if we're going to do this. All of us."

"I'l l go back." Andie told him defiantly.

"What?" Jack looked taken aback.

"I'll go back." She said again. Then she took a few steps towards Jack and stared him down. "But let me make one thing _very_ clear to you, Jack. I am _not_...doing this for you." She said firmly. "I have tried every day to forget all the horrible things that happened that day we left. But I can't. I have two reminders of that island; they won't let me forget. I don't have a choice. I _have_ to go back. Not for you." She gulped back her tears. "And not for me. But for them." She turned and headed back down the hallway.

"Andie," Jack called after her, his voice breaking. "Why...what made you change your mind?"

Andie paused at the door and turned back to him. "It doesn't matter." She replied. "All that matters is who we left behind. And I'm not gonna stop until we get them back." She paused. "All of them."

**xxx**


End file.
